John Malkovich's Role in Marvel's THE FANTASTIC 4: FIRST STEPS Reportedly Revealed
John Malkovich was among several actors announced to be in Marvel's The Fantastic 4: First Steps movie before the movie went into development.
There were no details shared on who the iconic actor would be playing, but according to a report from Murphy's Multiverse, Malkovich might end up playing one of the team's oldest villains… Ivan Kragoff, aka the Red Ghost.
In the comics, Red Ghost is known for his scientific genius and villainous ambitions. He’s a former Soviet scientist and cosmonaut and is obsessed with surpassing the achievements of American space explorers, particularly the Fantastic Four.
He gains his powers after deliberately exposing himself and three trained apes to cosmic rays on a space mission. These rays grant Kragoff the ability to become intangible and phase through solid matter, while his apes also gain unique powers, forming a super-powered team under his command.
The character is driven by a rivalry with Reed Richards and a desire to prove Soviet supremacy. This would be a great character for Malkovich to play and I hope this rumor is true.
What do you think about the possibility of Malkovich taking on the role of Red Ghost?
The Fantastic 4 is set in the ‘60s in an alternate-reality version of New York City. We saw some test footage of this at Comic-Con last month and I was blown away by it. The movie just started shooting, and they had nothing more to share at D23.
The movie also stars Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us) as Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby (Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning) as Sue Storm, aka the Invisible Woman; and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Punisher, The Bear) as Ben Grimm, aka the Thing.
Paul Walter Houser was cast in the project in an unknown role, possibly Mole Man, Natasha Lyonne is in the film, and Julia Garner (Ozark, Inventing Anna) will take on the role of Shalla-Bal, who is an incarnation of Silver Surfer. Ralph Ineson will play Galactus.
Matt Shakman is directing The Fantastic 4: First Steps is scheduled to hit theaters on July 25, 2025.
