Key Points:
- John Malkovich has joined the cast of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, but his role remains undisclosed.
- The trailer hints at several possible characters he could be portraying, including Mole Man, The Red Ghost, or Nathaniel Richards.
- The film is set for release on July 25, 2025, and will establish the Fantastic Four in the MCU.
John Malkovich Joins The Fantastic Four: First Steps in a Mysterious Role
The first trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps has finally debuted, offering fans a glimpse at the highly anticipated MCU film. The trailer highlights the main cast, including Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm, and Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm. Additionally, it provides a brief but intriguing shot of John Malkovich emerging from the shadows with a scraggly white beard.
Malkovich’s casting was officially announced in May 2024, but Marvel Studios has kept details about his character under wraps. Given his extensive filmography and ability to portray eccentric and complex roles, his inclusion in the film has sparked widespread speculation. While his appearance in the trailer confirms his presence, it does not offer any clues about his character’s identity.
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Who Could John Malkovich Be Playing in The Fantastic Four: First Steps?
Marvel Studios has a history of keeping important character details hidden until closer to release. Despite Malkovich’s presence in the trailer, his character remains a mystery. However, there are several possibilities based on his appearance and the story’s potential direction.
1. Mole Man
One of the most speculated roles for Malkovich is Harvey Rupert Elder, a.k.a. Mole Man. As the first-ever villain to appear in The Fantastic Four comics, Mole Man has a significant history with the team. In the comics, Elder was a nuclear engineer obsessed with the Hollow Earth theory. After being rejected by society, he ventured underground and discovered Subterranea, a hidden world beneath the Earth’s surface. Over time, he became the ruler of this underground civilization and used his resources to attack the surface world.
However, while the film’s 1960s aesthetic could align with Mole Man’s early comic book appearances, Malkovich’s look in the trailer does not strongly resemble the character’s traditional depiction, making this theory less likely.
2. The Red Ghost (Ivan Kragoff)
A more plausible option is Ivan Kragoff, also known as The Red Ghost. In Marvel Comics, Kragoff is a Soviet scientist obsessed with outpacing the United States in the Space Race. He deliberately exposes himself and his team of trained apes to cosmic rays, granting them superpowers. His rivalry with the Fantastic Four stems from his desire to prove Soviet superiority and harness cosmic energy for his own means.
The trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps features multiple shots of rockets launching, as well as the team in space suits, suggesting a strong emphasis on cosmic exploration. This could hint at a connection to the Red Ghost, making him a strong possibility for Malkovich’s role.
3. Nathaniel Richards (Reed Richards’ Father)
Another theory suggests that Malkovich could be playing Nathaniel Richards, the father of Reed Richards. In Marvel Comics, Nathaniel is a time traveler who gets lost in alternate dimensions and encounters various versions of himself, some of whom are dangerous and power-hungry. At one point, he becomes involved in a complex battle over time and reality, leading to major consequences for Reed and his family.
The multiverse is expected to play a significant role in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, as the film is reportedly set in an alternate reality rather than Earth-616. This would explain why the Fantastic Four are absent from the current MCU timeline and could justify Nathaniel Richards’ appearance as a key figure in bridging the team’s reality with the main MCU. Additionally, the confirmed appearance of the Fantastic Four in Avengers: Doomsday suggests their reality-hopping adventure will have lasting implications.
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Additional Unconfirmed Castings and Theories
Malkovich isn’t the only cast member whose role remains undisclosed. Paul Walter Hauser and Natasha Lyonne are also confirmed to appear in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, but their characters have yet to be officially revealed.
- Paul Walter Hauser is rumored to be voicing H.E.R.B.I.E., the robotic assistant seen in the trailer.
- Natasha Lyonne is speculated to be playing Alicia Masters, a blind artist and love interest of Ben Grimm (The Thing).
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is set to premiere in theaters on July 25, 2025.
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