Overview

• Marvel Studios confirms John Malkovich’s Ivan Kragoff/Red Ghost does not appear in the final cut of The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
• Director Matt Shakman described the choice as heartbreaking and attributed it to the challenge of balancing a large cast and narrative scope.
• Malkovich filmed a lengthy origins sequence early in production that was showcased in the first teaser trailer.
• The decision to excise his scenes came less than two weeks before release as part of late-stage edits refining the film’s 1960s retro-futuristic world.
• The movie premieres in Los Angeles on July 21 and opens theatrically on July 25 without the Red Ghost character.