The blockbuster hit The Fantastic Four: First Steps has proven to be a triumph for Marvel Studios, serving as a pivotal moment following a stretch of both commercial and critical instability. Debuting with an impressive $118 million domestically and raking in $218 million worldwide during its opening weekend, this much-anticipated victory is further bolstered by universal critical acclaim, securing the movie an impressive 88% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a strong A- CinemaScore from viewers – making it the highest-rated Fantastic Four film yet. However, this success story hides a tale of considerable production changes. The version of the film that audiences now see is drastically different from earlier cuts, with John Malkovich’s role as the villain Red Ghost being entirely excised. Newly disclosed information suggests that these edits ran even deeper than initially believed; it seems that the entire third act of First Steps underwent significant revisions before its premiere.
Warning: Spoilers below for The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
During a visit by CBR, it was observed that a crucial scene from the movie’s finale was being filmed. In the released version of the film, the Fantastic Four devise a worldwide plan to build enormous teleportation structures called Bridges, with the aim of transferring Earth to another solar system to prevent Galactus, the world-devourer (played by Ralph Ineson), from destroying it. At the moment when the plan is ready to be executed, the Silver Surfer (portrayed by Julia Garner) reappears and employs her powers to demolish the Bridges, thereby foiling their rescue attempt.
During the set visit, a different saboteur was portrayed in the filmed scene, as CBR explains it. In this instance, Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal) started the final countdown, but a voice with a thick Russian accent disrupted the communication systems, mocking him. This led to Pascal’s Reed shouting, “Ivan, no! You can’t! Not now!” This line is a clear nod to Ivan Kragoff, also known as the Red Ghost, who was initially planned to be the one to ruin the Bridges and condemn the planet.
During a press conference for the movie, director Matt Shakman stated that initially, there was a different perspective on how things might go wrong with those bridges. However, as the film was being assembled, it seemed more fitting to have the Surfer reappear. This choice kept the narrative consistent with our known antagonist and focused more on the storyline we were investing the most time in.
Will John Malkovich’s Red Ghost Ever Appear in the MCU?
For several months, there was much discussion about why John Malkovich’s character wasn’t in the final cast list, even though he appeared in the initial movie trailer. However, director Shakman later clarified that Malkovich had been cast as the iconic villain Ivan Kragoff, aka the Red Ghost. It turns out that his role was part of an opening scene that was edited out of the film, which would have featured an action-packed montage showcasing the Fantastic Four’s past accomplishments, including a full battle against Red Ghost and his Super-Apes.
The director shared that there was once an exciting scene featuring the Red Ghost character. In this scene, the Red Ghost attempted to pilfer a rocket ship with his band of apes, while Reed aimed to thwart him and outsmart him. There were many engaging moments in this sequence, such as Reed kicking a Super-Ape. However, this action-packed segment was reduced for the sake of narrative flow to reach the central story quicker. Remnants of this fight, including Reed’s kick against a Super-Ape, were later used in the brief origin montage that appears at the beginning of the final movie.
The director found it painful to eliminate the character from the story, as it was essential for establishing the four primary characters, their relationship with Franklin Richards, and dealing with Galactus’ impending doom. However, even though his scenes were removed, the character’s impact is still noticeable, and there might be a chance for him in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) down the line. A clear indication of this is the post-credits scene in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, where an in-universe Fantastic Four cartoon show appears, featuring adversaries like Red Ghost and Dragon Man. Given the film’s positive reception, Marvel Studios may rework the original opening scenes into a series of short videos, offering fans an extensive look at the First Family’s career within the MCU.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is now playing in theaters.
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2025-07-28 12:39