Why Marvel Cut John Malkovich from Fantastic Four and Snubbed Him Twice as a Supervillain

John Malkovich Cut from Fantastic Four After Marvel Scraps Him on Spider-Man 4

John Malkovich was originally cast as the supervillain Red Ghost in the upcoming Fantastic Four: First Steps, but Marvel Studios has now removed his character from the final cut. This comes years after Malkovich was also considered for the role of Vulture in the canceled Spider-Man 4 directed by Sam Raimi.

John Malkovich was set to play Red Ghost in Fantastic Four but got cut.
He was also eyed for Vulture in the scrapped Spider-Man 4.
Director Matt Shakman explained the cut was due to balancing many story elements.
Fans are left wondering why Marvel won’t let Malkovich play a villain.
Possible future cameos or deleted scenes might still feature him.

Malkovich’s Red Ghost Role Removed for Story Balance

Director Matt Shakman told Variety that Malkovich’s character was cut because the film had “a lot of stuff to balance” — including a ’60s retro-future world, multiple villains, the four main characters, and even a child character. This meant some scenes and characters had to be removed to shape the final version of the movie.

Malkovich’s Red Ghost, a lesser-known Marvel villain who aimed to conquer the moon with his super-intelligent apes, was originally set to appear in a cold open fight against the Fantastic Four. Unfortunately, fans won’t get to see this sequence in theaters.

A Rocky Road for Malkovich in Comic Book Movies

Back in 2010, before Sony and Marvel shifted to The Amazing Spider-Man with Andrew Garfield, Sam Raimi planned to cast Malkovich as the Vulture in Spider-Man 4. However, Sony wanted Anne Hathaway as Black Cat for youth appeal, and the project was eventually scrapped.

After the success of Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Raimi has hinted at possibly revisiting the Spider-Man franchise, which could open a door for Malkovich to finally play Vulture, following Michael Keaton’s iconic portrayal. Or maybe it’s time for Malkovich to move on from MCU villain roles altogether.

Fans might still get a glimpse of Malkovich’s Red Ghost in deleted scenes if Marvel decides to release them — unless legal or compensation issues prevent it. Another possibility could be a future multiversal cameo in the MCU, but after being cut twice, it’s understandable if Malkovich steps away from Marvel projects.

Marvel, if you’re listening, maybe cast him as the voice of Beta Ray Bill? We’re all in for that!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6Fuxkinhug

https://variety.com/2025/film/news/john-malkovich-cut-fantastic-four-red-ghost-1236461392/