Fantastic Four: First Steps Will No Longer Feature John Malkovich as Red Ghost, Director Says

The Fantastic Four: First Steps volition yet present a fistful of large names to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), but manager Matt Shakman says John Malkovich’s Red Ghost won’t beryllium 1 of them.

Details regarding Malkovich’s removal from the last chopped of the caller Fantastic Four movie travel from an interrogation Variety conducted with Shakman up of the Marvel film’s premiere aboriginal this month. He says moments centered connected Malkovich’s villain quality were immoderate of the galore scenes that “ultimately ended up hitting the cutting country floor.”

“When we were gathering a ’60s retro-future world, introducing each of these villains, introducing these 4 main characters arsenic a group, arsenic good arsenic individually, introducing the thought of a kid — determination was a batch of worldly to equilibrium successful this movie and immoderate things had to spell yet successful presumption of shaping the movie for its last version,” Shakman said.

Malkovich’s beingness arsenic Red Ghost has remained shrouded successful enigma for months, but the relation wasn’t precisely kept a secret. While fans weren’t rather definite however overmuch surface clip the Burn After Reading histrion would get successful The Fantastic Four: First Steps, helium astatine slightest appeared sporting long, achromatic hairsbreadth and a scraggly beard successful its archetypal teaser trailer successful February. He’s been absent from astir promotional worldly since, though, starring to rumors that Marvel whitethorn person moved to chopped Malkovich and Red Ghost from the movie entirely. Now, we cognize that this is so the case.

“It was heartbreaking not to see him successful the last mentation of the movie due to the fact that he’s 1 of my precise favourite humans and 1 of my biggest inspirations,” Shakman added. “As a idiosyncratic who walks the enactment betwixt theatre and movie and television, there’s nary 1 who is much inspiring than the laminitis of Steppenwolf Theater Company. What he’s done connected signifier arsenic an histrion and what he’s done arsenic a manager successful theatre arsenic good arsenic successful film, and arsenic conscionable a movie histrion of unthinkable quality — I was honored helium came to play.”

Shakman says fans would person been capable to drawback Malkovich successful The Fantastic Four: First Steps during a series detailing the aboriginal days for Marvel’s First Family. Specifically, the infinitesimal progressive a conflict betwixt the superpowered radical arsenic they fought against Red Ghost and his Super-Apes. It’s unclear if we’ll ever get to spot however Malkovich astir acceptable into the MCU, but for now, Shakman astatine slightest says that helium “was superb successful it, and gave it his all.”

The Fantastic Four: First Steps has a July 25, 2025, merchandise day and features Pedro Pascal arsenic Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby arsenic Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn arsenic Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach arsenic Ben Grimm/The Thing. Other names acceptable to look successful the movie see Julia Garner, Ralph Ineson, Sarah Niles, Natasha Lyonne, and Paul Walter Hauser.

For more, you tin work up connected wherefore Tom Holland Spider-Man manager Jon Watts yet decided to permission the task aboriginal on. You tin besides cheque retired everything we cognize astir Sam Raimi's canceled Spider-Man 4 movie, which besides would person featured Malkovich arsenic an iconic Marvel villain.

Michael Cripe is simply a freelance contributor with IGN. He's champion known for his enactment astatine sites similar The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be definite to springiness him a travel connected Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).