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Subscribe from just £3 Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love Try a single issue or save on a subscription Issues delivered straight to your door or device From£9.99Subscribe now Best Netflix Movies Best movies on Disney Plus Movie Release Dates Best Netflix Shows Recommended reading Marvel Movies John Malkovich's villain the Red Ghost has been cut from The Fantastic Four: First Steps - "It was heartbreaking not to include him," director says, and I'm heartbroken too Marvel Movies Fantastic Four: First Steps press release has removed one major cast member, leaving fans to wonder if the character has been cut Marvel Movies Fantastic Four: The First Steps: Every deep-cut comic book character seen in the new Marvel movie Marvel Movies New Fantastic Four teaser is hiding a C-list villain 'cameo' – and it confirms they've already been defeated before the events of the movie Marvel Movies Move over, Galactus: Fantastic Four's Joseph Quinn confirms there's another unannounced villain in the Marvel movie Marvel Movies Fantastic Four has seemingly cut some scenes from its trailers, and Marvel fans are wishing the movie was longer Marvel Movies Fantastic Four director appears to rule out a Robert Downey Jr. Doctor Doom cameo before Avengers: Doomsday: "Doom is not part of my film" Entertainment Action Movies Marvel Movies Fantastic Four: First Steps Fantastic Four director explains why one villain was cut, despite the actor's "incredible performance": "It was just so much material" Bradley Russell 26 July 2025 Red Ghost was nowhere to be seen in First Steps When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Marvel Studios) Fantastic Four: First Steps director Matt Shakman has opened up about why John Malkovich's Red Ghost was left out of the final cut. Speaking to Phase Hero's Brandon Davis, Shakman revealed that the opening montage of the Fantastic Four's heroic exploits shown during the Ted Gilbert Show was originally longer, allowing for viewers to see a "sense of history" as Marvel's First Family hit its fourth anniversary. "We wanted the characters to feel lived-in, we wanted the city to feel lived-in. Part of that was showing all the things they've done along the way: building the Future Foundation, defeating Red Ghost, The Mad Thinker, Mole Man." You may like John Malkovich's villain the Red Ghost has been cut from The Fantastic Four: First Steps - "It was heartbreaking not to include him," director says, and I'm heartbroken too Fantastic Four: First Steps press release has removed one major cast member, leaving fans to wonder if the character has been cut Fantastic Four: The First Steps: Every deep-cut comic book character seen in the new Marvel movie Of those, Red Ghost was the main casualty left on the cutting room floor – despite John Malkovich's supervillain being shown in trailers. (Image credit: Marvel Studios) "We had an opening that involved a lot of action around the Red Ghost. We had an incredible performance from John Malkovich. It was just so much material when we were trying to sort of get to that present day moment where their world changes when the pregnancy happens," Shakman explained. On the sequence itself, the director added, "We had Red Ghost trying to steal a rocket ship with his apes, and Reed trying to defeat him and outwitting him. We see snippets of that in the [Ted Gilbert Show] montage, you see him kicking one of the apes in the water." Fantastic Four: First Steps, starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn, is now in cinemas. For more of a spoiler-filled breakdown, be sure to head on over to our larger looks at the Fantastic Four: First Steps post-credits scene and Fantastic Four: First Steps ending. And, yes, that is you-know-who at the very end of the film. See more Movies News Bradley Russell Social Links Navigation I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. John Malkovich's villain the Red Ghost has been cut from The Fantastic Four: First Steps - "It was heartbreaking not to include him," director says, and I'm heartbroken too Fantastic Four: First Steps press release has removed one major cast member, leaving fans to wonder if the character has been cut Fantastic Four: The First Steps: Every deep-cut comic book character seen in the new Marvel movie New Fantastic Four teaser is hiding a C-list villain 'cameo' – and it confirms they've already been defeated before the events of the movie Move over, Galactus: Fantastic Four's Joseph Quinn confirms there's another unannounced villain in the Marvel movie Fantastic Four has seemingly cut some scenes from its trailers, and Marvel fans are wishing the movie was longer Latest in Marvel Movies Yes, that is Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom in Fantastic Four, Marvel director confirms One returning X-Men actor isn't sure if she has any further Avengers: Doomsday scenes to shoot because they "haven't finished writing" the script Robert Downey Jr. reveals another Marvel comic in his Avengers: Doomsday reading material, and this one could be teasing a Doctor Doom vs. Iron Man showdown Thunderbolts director understands the reactions to Taskmaster's death Fantastic Four's Vanessa Kirby wants to become Sue Storm's evil alter-ego Malice in the MCU's future Robert Downey, Jr. delivers a cryptic hint about Doctor Doom's role in Avengers: Doomsday, and it might be a huge spoiler about the future of Franklin Richards after The Fantastic Four: First Steps Latest in News Yes, that is Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom in Fantastic Four, Marvel director confirms Star Trek is showing no signs of slowing down as first Starfleet Academy trailer brings back some old Discovery favorites to train the next generation's "best and brightest" 16 years after the critically panned reboot, iconic horror franchise Friday the 13th returns to the big screen with a new installment – and sequel to the hit video game One returning X-Men actor isn't sure if she has any further Avengers: Doomsday scenes to shoot because they "haven't finished writing" the script Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will eventually get to "Kirk's first day on the job" as Enterprise Captain before the spin-off wraps up: "That is our hope, and that is our plan" Robert Downey Jr. reveals another Marvel comic in his Avengers: Doomsday reading material, and this one could be teasing a Doctor Doom vs. Iron Man showdown GAME REVIEWS MOVIE REVIEWS Wheel World review: "By merging Burnout Paradise and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild with pedal power, Wheel World arrives somewhere unusual and worth visiting" Wuchang: Fallen Feathers review: "Flashy combos are impressive, but boss battle frustrations get in the way of me actually using them" Donkey Kong Bananza review: "Destruction isn't just a flashy gimmick for the Minecraft generation, it's one of the best inventions Nintendo has had in years" Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 review: "A nostalgic, must-play hit for fans" College Football 26 review: “Thanks to rivalries and dynasty, this is the greatest show on turf” The Fantastic Four: First Steps review: "An occasionally thrilling heroic adventure that sits safely within a B-tier MCU range" Superman review: "A triumphant reinvention and a promising start for the DCU" Jurassic World Rebirth Review: "An unscary sequel that needed a little more time in amber" M3GAN 2.0 review: "A bold sequel with a slightly underwhelming conclusion" 28 Years Later Review: "Enough terror, splatter and suspense to satisfy” Squid Game season 3 review: "A staggeringly excellent final season wraps up one of the greatest Netflix shows ever" Ironheart review: "A relic of Marvel's content-at-all-costs era" Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 review: "The show's most assured run of episodes to date" Doctor Who season 2, episode 8 spoiler review: 'The Reality War' is "a mix of the good, the bad, and the truly baffling" Doctor Who season 2, episode 7 spoiler review: 'Wish World' is "an exciting and ambitious" start to the season finale, with hints of WandaVision GamesRadar+ is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. 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