Who is John Malkovich playing in The Fantastic Four: First Steps? Speculations explored

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is one of the most anticipated films of 2025 in the superhero genre. The Marvel film is a reboot of the franchise and is also a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The recently released teaser trailer has been well received, and fans are reportedly eager to know more about the film.

Matt Shakman, who has directed episodes of several popular shows like The Game of Thrones and Succession, is the film's director. It stars Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby, among others, in the lead. Besides these names, there is a curiosity among fans to know what role John Malkovich is playing in the film.

Exploring John Malkovich's role in The Fantastic Four: First Steps

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John Malkovich is briefly showcased in the teaser video for The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which has reportedly increased the speculations among cinephiles eager to know which role he is playing. Malkovich is seen with a long white beard and a near-bald head.

There is a possibility that he is playing the role of Red Ghost, aka Ivan Kragoff, who is the main villain, but there is no official confirmation. The character is a scientist from Russia who becomes an arch nemesis of the Fantastic Four. He also possesses the power to go invisible.

However, the film already features villains like Galactus and Silver Surfer. So it's hard to speculate if Malkovich's character (if it is Red Ghost) will have a larger role in the story.

As per Polygon, Malkovich might also be the Mole Man, the first negative character to confront the superheroes. He had control over the Muloids and orchestrated several attacks.

Other cast members of The Fantastic Four: First Steps

The Fantastic Four: First Steps features Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, a scientist who heads the namesake superhero team. He ends up getting the power to stretch his body. Pascal's performance in Gladiator II and The Last of Us has been well received. Besides him, Vanessa Kirby is playing Sue Storm, aka Invisible Woman. Her brother is Johny, and she can go invisible and create forcefields. Kirby will be also seen in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.

Joseph Quinn plays the role of Johnny Storm, aka Human Torch, while Ebon Moss-Bachrach Ben Grimm becomes The Thing. English actor Ralph Ineson is playing the film's villain, Galactus. Julia Garner has played the role of Silver Surfer through motion capture technology. Besides them, Natasha Lyonne, Sarah Niles, and Paul Walter Hauser also have supporting roles.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is directed by Matt Shakman and will be released on July 25, 2025, and will kickstart the sixth phase of MCU. It is produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The film is the 37th entry in the MCU.

In a 2023 interview, Shakman stated that he did not watch other films for inspiration for his version of Fantastic Four. Instead, his focus was on the comic book, the source material.

“I'm looking at the comics themselves. I'm a huge comic book fan. I’ve been a big fan of the Fantastic Four since I was a kid. So going back to Kirby and Lee and Byrne and following all the way up to what's happening, certainly Hickman and Waid and Ryan North, what he's been doing."