John Malkovich will no longer appear as Ivan Kragoff, also known as the Red Ghost, in Marvel Studios’ upcoming film The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Director Matt Shakman revealed the decision during an interview with Variety, explaining that despite Malkovich’s strong performance, the character had to be cut to better serve the overall story and ensemble cast. This change occurred in the final stages of editing as the film took shape.
Early Scenes Featuring Malkovich and Their Role
Malkovich’s scenes were part of a substantial sequence depicting the early years of the Fantastic Four’s superhero adventures, including their battle against the Red Ghost and his team called the Super-Apes. A brief glimpse of Malkovich in character even appeared in the film’s first teaser trailer. Shakman praised the actor’s commitment, stating
“was brilliant in it, and gave it his all.”
Balancing a Complex Story and Extensive Cast
With a roster that includes Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm, Julia Garner as the Silver Surfer, and Ralph Ineson as Galactus, the film’s narrative focuses on the Fantastic Four many years into their superhero lives, including introducing Reed and Sue’s first child. To manage such a layered story, some segments, including Malkovich’s scenes, were cut.
Shakman noted,
“There were a lot of things that ultimately ended up hitting the cutting room floor,”
and elaborated,
“When we were building a ’60s retro-future world, introducing all of these villains, introducing these four main characters as a group, as well as individually, introducing the idea of a child — there was a lot of stuff to balance in this movie and some things had to go ultimately in terms of shaping the film for its final version.”
Director’s Longstanding Connection with Malkovich
Matt Shakman’s history with John Malkovich dates back to his debut feature film, Cut Bank (2014), which also starred Liam Hemsworth, Teresa Palmer, Bruce Dern, Billy Bob Thornton, and Michael Stuhlbarg. Shakman spent many years securing financing for the film, but Malkovich’s commitment remained steadfast. The director shared that Malkovich
“stuck with it for several years and never dropped out.”
This longstanding professional relationship made cutting Malkovich from The Fantastic Four a particularly poignant moment for Shakman. He described the decision as
“heartbreaking not to include him in the final version of the movie because he’s one of my very favorite humans and one of my biggest inspirations,”
adding,
“As a person who walks the line between theater and film and television, there’s no one who is more inspiring than the founder of Steppenwolf Theater Company. What he’s done on stage as an actor and what he’s done as a director in theater as well as in film, and as just a film actor of incredible ability — I was honored he came to play.”
Supporting Cast and Release Details
Alongside the main superheroes, the film features Natasha Lyonne, Paul Walter Hauser, Mark Gatiss, and Sarah Niles in various roles. The Fantastic Four will have its world premiere in Los Angeles on July 21, ahead of its wide release in theaters scheduled for July 25.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. What is John Malkovich’s religion?
A. I don’t believe in God, so I’m an atheist. However, I do have some spiritual beliefs.
Q. Is Being John Malkovich dark?
A. When he tells his colleague, Maxine (Catherine Keener), about his finding, they start a strange business. They sell the experience of “being John Malkovich.” This quirky dark comedy explores themes of identity and body, and it helped writer Charlie Kaufman and director Spike Jonze gain fame.
Q. What religion is John Malkovich?
A. I don’t believe in God, so I’m an atheist. However, that doesn’t mean I completely lack spiritual beliefs. I might be agnostic since I’m uncertain about a powerful creator who manages everything while allowing us freedom. This idea is confusing to me and doesn’t seem logical.
