John Malkovich's Red Ghost was removed from The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

      Although John Malkovich made a brief appearance in the initial teaser trailer, it has been revealed that his role in Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps has been removed from the final film. In a comprehensive career retrospective, director Matt Shakman shared with Variety that it was "heartbreaking" to leave him out of the completed version of the movie.

      Malkovich was set to portray Ivan Kragoff, also known as the Red Ghost, one of the original villains to confront Marvel's first family during the early comic days. His scenes were intended to appear early in the film, showcasing The Fantastic Four's confrontation with Red Ghost and his Super-Apes.

      Shakman noted that Malkovich "was brilliant in it and gave it his all," but the necessity of introducing a large ensemble of characters led to "many things that ultimately ended up hitting the cutting room floor." He expressed that it was "heartbreaking not to include him in the final cut of the movie because he’s one of my very favorite humans and a significant inspiration."

      Shakman elaborated, "When we were constructing a ’60s retro-future world, we had to balance the introduction of these villains, the four main characters as a group and individually, and the concept of a child – there was a lot to manage in this film, and some elements ultimately had to be excluded to shape it for the final version."

      It’s not surprising that Malkovich ended up on the cutting room floor, as Shakman also had to make room for Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Julia Garner, and Ralph Ineson, along with Natasha Lyonne, Paul Walter Hauser, Mark Gatiss, and Sarah Niles.

      Set against the dynamic backdrop of a 1960s-inspired retro-futuristic world, Marvel Studios’ “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” introduces Marvel’s First Family—Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn), and Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) as they confront their greatest challenge yet. They must navigate their roles as heroes while upholding their family bond, defending Earth from a ravenous space god named Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his mysterious Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). As if Galactus’ plan to consume the entire planet weren’t dire enough, things become intensely personal.

      The Fantastic Four: First Steps will be released in theaters on July 25th.