Just days before Marvel’s Fantastic Four: First Steps hits theaters, news has emerged that legendary actor John Malkovich, who filmed scenes as the classic villain Red Ghost, has been cut entirely from the final version of the film. Despite his brief appearance in the first trailer and a major early sequence in the story, the 71-year-old actor’s role was removed due to an overcrowded script and cast.
Director Matt Shakman, speaking to Variety, explained that while creating the film’s 1960s retro-futuristic world and introducing multiple characters, difficult decisions had to be made in the editing room. “There were a lot of things that ended up getting cut,” he said. “When you’re building a whole world, introducing all the villains, and establishing the four leads both individually and as a group, you have to make room somehow.”
Malkovich’s Red Ghost was initially featured in a flashback sequence detailing the early years of the superhero team’s formation. In the original comics, the Red Ghost is one of the first villains the Fantastic Four ever faced. But due to the complexity of the storyline and the ensemble cast, the scenes didn’t make the final cut.
