Fantastic Four Drops John Malkovich as Red Ghost

The highly anticipated "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" will finally bring several major characters into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, director Matt Shakman has confirmed that John Malkovich’s portrayal of the villain Red Ghost will not be among them.

Shakman revealed the news in a recent Variety interview ahead of the film's release. He explained that scenes featuring Malkovich's character were among several that "ultimately ended up on the cutting room floor" during the final edit.

"We were building a retro-future world set in the '60s, introducing multiple villains, establishing the four main characters both as a team and individually, and weaving in the storyline of a child," Shakman said. "With so many elements to balance, some things had to be trimmed to shape the final film."

While Malkovich's casting as Red Ghost was public knowledge, his role had remained mysterious. The actor, sporting long white hair and a beard, appeared briefly in the first teaser trailer in February but has been absent from most subsequent promotional material. This absence fueled rumors that Marvel had decided to remove the character entirely, which Shakman has now confirmed.

"It was heartbreaking not to include him in the final version," Shakman expressed. "He is one of my favorite people and a tremendous inspiration. As someone who navigates theater, film, and television, no one is more inspiring than a founder of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company. His work on stage and screen, both as an actor and director, is incredible. I was deeply honored he agreed to join the project."

According to Shakman, Malkovich's scenes would have appeared in a sequence depicting the early adventures of Marvel's First Family, specifically a battle against Red Ghost and his Super-Apes. It is unclear if this footage will ever be released, but the director assured that Malkovich "was brilliant in it and gave it his all."

"The Fantastic Four: First Steps" is scheduled for release on July 25, 2025. The cast includes Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing. The film also features Julia Garner, Ralph Ineson, Sarah Niles, Natasha Lyonne, and Paul Walter Hauser.

For further reading, explore the reasons why Tom Holland's Spider-Man director, Jon Watts, initially left the project. You can also discover everything known about Sam Raimi's canceled "Spider-Man 4," which also planned to feature John Malkovich as a classic Marvel villain.