Just one week before the U.S. release of The Fantastic Four: First Steps on July 25, director Matt Shakman confirmed that the character Red Ghost, played by John Malkovich, was removed from the final cut of the Marvel film. This came as a surprise since Malkovich’s role was featured in early teaser trailers, indicating the decision to exclude his character occurred late in the post-production stage. The director has since shared the reasoning behind the removal of Red Ghost, also known as Ivan Kragoff, from the movie.
Director Matt Shakman’s Explanation for the Character’s Exclusion
According to Matt Shakman, the decision to leave John Malkovich’s Red Ghost out of the final version was motivated by the need to maintain a balanced narrative without overloading the film with too many characters. Shakman acknowledges the difficulty of this choice, highlighting Malkovich’s exceptional performance during filming.
“it was heartbreaking not to include [Malkovich] in the final version of the movie,”
—Matt Shakman, Director
The scenes featuring Red Ghost were part of an early montage depicting The Fantastic Four battling various villains including Ivan Kragoff and Harvey Elder, also known as Mole Man. These sequences helped establish the expansive world the film sought to portray.
“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.”
—Matt Shakman, Director
Shakman elaborated on the complex process of weaving together multiple story elements, which ultimately resulted in the difficult decision to cut certain parts to preserve the film’s pacing and coherence.
Background on the Red Ghost Character and Future Possibilities
In Marvel comics, Red Ghost is depicted as a Russian villain who mimics The Fantastic Four’s cosmic-ray origin by building his own spacecraft to gain powers with a crew of apes. The film’s version of Ivan Kragoff’s story remains unclear, as his scenes were removed before reaching audiences. Whether the character will be reintroduced in a future Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) installment is yet to be determined.
John Malkovich had previously declined other roles offered by Marvel, citing compensation as a factor. His involvement in The Fantastic Four: First Steps was partly influenced by his connection to Shakman, having worked together on the 2014 film Cut Bank.
Implications of Red Ghost’s Removal and What to Expect Next
The elimination of John Malkovich’s Red Ghost underscores the challenges filmmakers face when balancing complex storylines with diverse characters in large-scale superhero movies. Fans anticipating the villain’s debut may still hope for his eventual appearance elsewhere in the MCU. Shakman’s candid admission reveals the careful consideration behind narrative choices as Marvel continues to expand its cinematic universe.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. What is John Malkovich’s religion?
A. I am an atheist, but that doesn’t mean I completely lack spiritual beliefs.
Q. Is Being John Malkovich dark?
A. He tells his co-worker Maxine (Catherine Keener) about his discovery, and they start an odd business selling experiences of “being John Malkovich.” This dark comedy with surreal themes helped writer Charlie Kaufman and director Spike Jonze become well-known.
Q. What religion is John Malkovich?
A. I don’t believe in a god. However, I wouldn’t say I lack spiritual beliefs entirely. Maybe I’m more open-minded, but I find the idea of a powerful creator who controls everything and also grants us free will confusing. It just doesn’t make sense to me.
