John Malkovich’s Role Cut from “Fantastic Four: First Steps” Confirmed
According to cinemadrame news agency, John Malkovich was set to appear in the film “Fantastic Four: First Steps,” but Variety reports that his scenes have been cut during the editing process.
The report states that Malkovich played the role of The Red Ghost, one of the Fantastic Four’s first villains, although his appearance in the first teaser had already led to speculation that he would be cast in that role. On the other hand, some Marvel fans had interpreted his noticeable absence in recent teasers as a sign of the character being removed from the film.
Matt Shakman, the film’s director, told Variety: “A lot of things got cut in the editing room. When we were building this retro-futuristic, 1960s world, introducing all these villains, these four main characters as a group, and also individually, and showcasing the concept of the kid – there were a lot of things we had to balance in this movie, and some things ultimately had to be removed to form the final version of the film.”
The removal of Malkovich’s scenes was particularly painful for Shakman, as the two had collaborated on his first film as a director, “Cut Bank.” The filmmaker said: “It was heartbreaking for him not to be in the final cut because he is a beloved person and one of my biggest inspirations.”
The story of “Fantastic Four: First Steps” is set in a retro-futuristic 1960s world where the Fantastic Four are astronauts preparing for a space journey. In the film, Pedro Pascal plays Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards), Joseph Quinn plays Johnny Storm, Vanessa Kirby plays Sue Storm (Invisible Woman), Ebon Moss-Bachrach plays Ben Grimm (The Thing), Julia Garner plays Shalla-Bal, Paul Walter Hauser plays The Mole Man, and The Green Knight will play Galactus.
“Fantastic Four” is set to be released on July 25, 2025.
