Fantastic Four: First Steps Director Doesn’t Rule Out Seeing John Malkovich’s Cut Villain (Just Not in Theaters)

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As a cinephile, I was thrilled to learn that John Malkovich was slated to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the enigmatic villain, Red Ghost, in the upcoming reboot of “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.” However, with an impressive cast already on board, including Pedro Pascal as Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Human Torch, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as The Thing, and formidable adversaries like Paul Walter Hauser’s Mole Man, Julia Garner’s Silver Surfer, and Ralph Ineson’s Galactus, the filmmakers had to make some tough decisions. Regrettably, it appears that John Malkovich and his Red Ghost-led Super-Ape team have been trimmed from the final cut due to time constraints and the already packed roster.

Director Matt Shakman praises Malkovich, saying, “He’s fantastic! I adore him, he’s one of my top picks. He’s just phenomenal as an actor.” Sharing his thoughts with ComicBook, Shakman expresses gratitude for Malkovich’s participation in his 2014 directorial debut Cut Bank, and applauds the two-time Oscar nominee for his exceptional portrayal of the Red Ghost. However, he notes that there was a lot to establish during filming.

Shakman confirms that Malkovich played a minor role as the villain in the Fantastic Four during an initial action sequence designed to introduce the team’s dynamic and their unique abilities. As Shakman puts it, “We needed to establish the four, along with their individual connections to each other. We had Galactus, we had Surfer, we were building this futuristic 1960s setting, a different universe. The question became, ‘How can we fit in all this setup before we can delve into our main story and progress with the narrative?’

Although John Malkovich’s role didn’t end up in the final version of WandaVision, its director hints that viewers might see Malkovich as the Red Ghost when the movie is released at home.

In the end, there were parts I had to let go that truly saddened me, and that’s what he’s referring to as a cut scene, Shakman notes. “I hope we’ll get to watch it someday, perhaps in a future Blu-ray edition or similar release.

In the cast of “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” are Natasha Lyonne, Sarah Niles, and Matthew Wood. This production is overseen by Kevin Feige, who has worked on films like “Deadpool” and “Wolverine”, and includes Louis D’Esposito (from “Thunderbolts”), Grant Curtis (from “Spider-Man”), and Tim Lewis (from “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”) as producers. The movie will debut exclusively in theaters on July 25th.

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2025-07-20 21:10