Who Is John Malkovich Playing in Fantastic Four: First Steps (and Why It Matters)?

The debut trailer for “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” offers a tantalizing peek at John Malkovich’s enigmatic character. In the teaser, Malkovich steps out of the darkness sporting long white hair, an obvious bald spot, and a scruffy beard. Although Marvel Studios hasn’t confirmed his role, speculation suggests that Malkovich might be playing Ivan Kragoff, more famously recognized as the Red Ghost, one of the Fantastic Four’s initial adversaries. The character’s distinctive white hair and bald spot are features he’s had since making his debut in Marvel Comics back in April 1963. If true, this casting choice could be crucial for the film’s 1960s atmosphere and its links to the Space Race period that marked early Fantastic Four comics.

Should Malkovich indeed portray the Red Ghost, his Marvel Cinematic Universe depiction might deviate slightly from the comic book character’s beardless form. Yet, Ivan Kragoff’s character – a brilliant yet merciless Soviet scientist – aligns beautifully with Malkovich’s powerful on-screen persona. The film Fantastic Four: First Steps has confirmed Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) as its main antagonists. The addition of Kragoff, however, would anchor the cosmic tale in the Cold War tensions that mirrored the backdrop of the early adventures of the Fantastic Four.

In the world of comic books, Ivan Kragoff, a scientist from Leningrad with an unusual ambition to claim the Moon for the Soviet Union, was introduced in issue #13 of Fantastic Four. What set him apart was his unconventional approach; he intentionally exposed three highly-trained apes – Mikhlo the gorilla, Igor the baboon, and Peotr the orangutan – to cosmic rays, mirroring the incident that led to the formation of the Fantastic Four. This experiment granted Kragoff the ability to become both intangible and invisible, whereas his “Super Apes” gained diverse powers such as super-strength, shape-shifting, and magnetism. Although the concept of “Super Apes” might be too extreme for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Kragoff’s scientific expertise could still have a substantial impact on the storyline of First Steps.

The Red Ghost Embodiment of Cold War Science Fits The Fantastic Four: First Steps

In the 1960s, establishing First Steps resonates with Kragoff’s comic book roots, as it was a time when scientific advancements symbolized national pride and military edge. Moreover, the character embodies what Reed Richards could have transformed into if guided by ideology rather than inquisitiveness. Both figures aimed to propel human progress via space travel, but their strategies and objectives diverged significantly. This contrast can enrich the movie by illustrating how personal decisions, not supernatural forces, shape individuals into heroes. Notably, Richards’ accident prompted him to safeguard mankind, whereas Kragoff intentionally subjected himself to cosmic rays, demonstrating his readiness to sacrifice everything for Soviet dominance.

In the comics, Reed Richards and Ivan Vanko’s philosophical disputes were enacted through numerous skirmishes on the Moon, which ultimately caught the eye of Uatu the Watcher. Although it’s unlikely that the movie First Steps would replicate the comic book storyline of the Red Ghost, these elements could still be woven into the film’s overarching theme about mankind’s role in a vast cosmic realm, given the impending threat of Galactus to Earth.

In the end, instead of showing the Red Ghost as a stereotypical Cold War figure, Malkovich could offer a more complex portrayal, delving into the personal toll of unrestrained scientific advancement. This theme aligns powerfully with the Fantastic Four’s backstory, potentially enriching a movie that seamlessly blends cosmic perils with human struggles.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps arrives in theaters on July 25th.

2025-02-04 18:39

The Red Ghost Embodiment of Cold War Science Fits The Fantastic Four: First Steps

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