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Marvel Studios Cuts John Malkovich’s Red Ghost From ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’

Director Matt Shakman described removing Malkovich’s Red Ghost scenes as heartbreaking in order to tighten the film’s narrative before its July 21 world premiere.

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John Malkovich attends the Los Angeles Premiere of A24's "OPUS" at The Egyptian Theatre Hollywood on February 19, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
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Overview

  • Matt Shakman confirmed on July 16 that John Malkovich’s entire role as Ivan Kragoff, aka the Red Ghost, was removed from the final edit of The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
  • The cut was made to streamline the ensemble cast and focus the story on the core Fantastic Four family and major cosmic antagonists such as Galactus and the Silver Surfer.
  • Early promotional materials featured a brief glimpse of Malkovich’s Red Ghost, but later trailers omitted the character as editors shaped the film’s ’60s retro-future narrative.
  • Shakman called the decision “heartbreaking” given his longstanding creative partnership with Malkovich and praised the actor as one of his greatest inspirations.
  • The film will still premiere in Los Angeles on July 21 and open in theaters on July 25 without the Red Ghost sequence.