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3w ago

Jon Watts Cites COVID Burnout as ‘Fantastic Four’ Enters Final Marketing, Malkovich’s Role Still Unconfirmed

Marvel’s omission of John Malkovich from recent trailers, coupled with his absence from official cast lists, has fueled fan theories that his scenes were removed.

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Overview

  • Jon Watts revealed at the Mediterrane Film Festival that strict COVID-19 protocols and a taxing post-production process left him “out of gas” and led to his April 2022 departure.
  • Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige supported Watts’s decision and enlisted Matt Shakman later that year, who retained the core 1960s retro-futuristic aesthetic and main villain from Watts’s original vision.
  • Final trailers for The Fantastic Four: First Steps emphasize the team’s powers, retro-futuristic setting and the threat of Galactus without any glimpse of Malkovich’s character.
  • John Malkovich was cast in May 2024 but is missing from Disney’s latest press release and promotional materials, prompting speculation that his role may have been cut.
  • Fans have noted the film’s runtime has been shortened by about 15 minutes since earlier listings and are awaiting official word on Malkovich’s involvement ahead of its July 25 release.