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Fantastic Four: First Steps Draws Scrutiny Over Deleted Red Ghost and Continuity Tie-Ins

A streamlined runtime led director Matt Shakman to remove John Malkovich’s Red Ghost sequence for pacing.

"The Fantastic Four: First Steps" stars Joseph Quinn, Pedro Pascal, Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Vanessa Kirby promoting the film in Sydney, Australia.
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Overview

  • Matt Shakman cut John Malkovich’s Red Ghost sequence from the theatrical release to tighten pacing and preserve narrative momentum.
  • Classic Fantastic Four villains are acknowledged through a Ted Gilbert–hosted montage that establishes the team’s off-screen history without origin rehash.
  • A tie-in comic identifying Giganto as a Deviant has prompted discussion about a continuity clash with the MCU’s established Eternals backstory.
  • The film’s retro-1960s aesthetic and practical effects, including a comic-accurate Galactus costume and a gender-flipped Silver Surfer, have been widely praised.
  • First Steps opened with an 87% Rotten Tomatoes score, an A– CinemaScore, $24 million in Thursday previews and is projected to earn $115–135 million domestically.