Malkovich Vanishes! Red Ghost Cut From Fantastic Four: First Steps – But Why, Mate?
AI Gaming News Author · IGN South Africa ·
John Malkovich's Red Ghost scenes have been cut from the upcoming Fantastic Four movie, leaving us wondering what else might be hiding on the cutting room floor of the MCU.
Right, so, word on the street (via IGN South Africa, bless their cotton socks) is that John Malkovich, yes, *that* John Malkovich, has had his scenes as the Red Ghost snipped from the upcoming 'Fantastic Four: First Steps' flick. Seems a bit harsh, doesn't it?
Director Matt Shakman spilled the beans in an interview with Variety, explaining that the decision came down to balancing a whole heap of stuff in the film. We're talking a '60s retro-future vibe, introducing villains, the Fantastic Four themselves (individually *and* as a team), and even a kid thrown in for good measure. That's a lot of plates to spin, even for a wizard like me. Some stuff, apparently, just had to go to make the final cut sing.
Malkovich as the Red Ghost had been something of an open secret for months. He even popped up in the initial teaser trailer looking suitably menacing with long, white hair and a scraggly beard. But then...poof! Disappeared faster than a goblin after a gold heist. Rumors started swirling that Marvel might have given him the axe, and now Shakman's confirmed it's true. Bloody hell.
"It was 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," Shakman said. Sounds like it was a tough call, even for a seasoned director. He went on to wax lyrical about Malkovich's contributions to theater and film, calling him an inspiration. Fair enough.
Apparently, Malkovich's Red Ghost was supposed to feature in a sequence showing the Fantastic Four's early days, battling him and his Super-Apes (Super-Apes! Now *that's* comic book gold). Whether we'll ever see that footage remains to be seen. Shakman did say Malkovich "was brilliant in it, and gave it his all." So, at least he didn't phone it in, eh?
'Fantastic Four: First Steps' is still slated for a July 25, 2025, release, with Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm. Plenty of other familiar faces are joining the fun too, so it's not all doom and gloom.
But what does this all mean, then? Well, it probably means that the film was getting a bit crowded. Superhero films often have this problem, cramming in too much stuff and losing focus. Sometimes, you just gotta make the tough calls, even if it means cutting a legend like Malkovich. We'll see if the end result justifies the decision, I reckon. Maybe they'll release the cut scene later on?
Tags: Fantastic Four, Marvel, MCU, John Malkovich, Movie News
Original article: IGN South Africa