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  • Marvel Studio Rolls Out a Cryptic New Synopsis for ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’

    Marvel Studio Rolls Out a Cryptic New Synopsis for ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’

    By the time Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps arrives in theaters next July, it will have been almost a decade since the last time Marvel’s first family was seen on the big screen. Fox’s Fantastic Four, directed by Josh Trank, was an abject disaster that not even social media revisionist history has managed to salvage and so Disney smartly displayed patience in bringing the super-team back to the screen after acquiring the live-action rights to them in the 2019 Fox merger. From the footage seen of the film so far, director Matt Shakman‘s new film couldn’t look and feel any different than its most recent predecessor, seemingly embracing the original vibe of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby‘s creations rather than seeking to distance itself from them.

    Though the new film will introduce the characters into the MCU, it is set in the 1960s in a parallel universe yet to be revealed where Reed, Sue, Johnny and Ben have already been established as heroes. As was the case with Spider-Man: Homecoming, the origin story of the heroes will be referenced but won’t take up the entire first act of the film, allowing the story to progress a bit more quickly and it sounds as though it may need all that space as the team will be facing its biggest threat: Galactus. The presence of the Devourer, played by Ralph Ineson, has been public knowledge for some time but now a cryptic, new official synopsis released by Disney may hint at a major twist that involves He Who Hungers.

    Though it has yet to be made official by Disney, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is expected to introduce Franklin Richards, the son of Reed and Sue. In the comics, Franklin is an incredibly powerful reality warper and while he’s still a teen in Marvel Comics’ present day, some possible futures of his have been revealed over the years and the new synopsis may be teasing one of the most inspired possibilities. Though it doesn’t give much away, the new synopsis teases that Galactus’ plans get “very personal” and while that’s certainly vague it’s also very intentional and will lead fans of the comics down a very particular path.

    Set against the vibrant 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 face their most daunting challenge yet. Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). And if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal.

    -Official Synopsis for Marvel Studios The Fantastic Four: First Steps

    In 1999, Marvel published the limited series Earth-X which explored what was originally created as the dystopian future of Earth-616. In Earth-X #2, it was revealed that Franklin had become Galactus. This idea has been explored a few other times over the years and has been rumored to be a potential plot point in The Fantastic Four: First Steps with the inclusion of one very cool twist: the film’s Galactus will be an older Franklin who demands that his family deliver his younger self to him! Again, it’s simply a rumor at this point and an old one at that; however, with the official synopsis dangling that bait, it does seem plausible at this point.

    The Fantastic Four: First Steps lands in theaters on July 25, 2025.

  • ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ May Be Set in One of Marvel Comics’ Most Incredible Parallel Universes

    ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ May Be Set in One of Marvel Comics’ Most Incredible Parallel Universes

    The Multiverse Saga has opened the door to some bizarre new worlds. Through projects such as Loki, What If…?, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, The Marvels and, most recently, Deadpool & Wolverine, the MCU has expanded to include dozens of parallel universes and alternate timelines populated with Variants of characters drawn from 25 years of Marvel superhero films. As the studio’s second saga enters the home stretch toward Avengers: Secret Wars, fans should expect the multiversal madness to continue, including in one of its most anticipated 2025 projects.

    In development since Disney’s 2019 merger with Fox, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is set to bring Marvel Comics First Family into the MCU on July 26, 2025. Directed by Matt Shakman, Marvel Studios take on the superhero team looks to be vastly different than Fox’s mostly maligned efforts at bringing them to the big screen. The Marvel Parliament certainly knew they had to go to great lengths to set the new film apart from its predecessors and, in doing so, made a bold and brilliant move that helped take the team back to its comic book roots.

    Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps will be the first MCU film fully set in a timeline other than Earth-616’s Sacred Timeline. Sure, Deadpool & Wolverine spent some time on Earth-10005 but was, for the most part, set in the Void which exists beyond the reach of time. Shakman’s film, on the other hand, is expected to take place almost entirely in a 1960s retro futuristic universe that, as of now, has been given no specific designation. However, as more information about the film continues to make its way online, it’s starting to sound as though that universe may be based on one of Marvel Comics’ most incredible and diverse parallels to Earth-616.

    Designed by Alex Ross and Jim Krueger as an alternate, future dystopian version of the Marvel Universe, Earth-9997, also known as Earth-X, offers one of the publisher’s boldest reimaginings of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s vision to date. Full of wonderfully redesigned characters, wild story lines and  one of the most creative twists in the history of Marvel Comics. And, as evidence starts to pile up, it’s becoming increasingly possible that Earth-X may be making its way into the MCU, even if it’s not quite a one-to-one adaptation.

    The possibility of The Fantastic Four: First Steps being set on the MCU’s version of Earth-X first arose when Julia Garner was revealed to be portraying a female version of the Silver Surfer known as Shalla-Bal. Traditionally, Bal is the lost love of Norrin Rad who, as the Silver Surfer, serves as the Herald of Galactus. However, in the Earth-X continuity, Bal does indeed become the Silver Sentinel of the Spaceways. Now, interestingly enough, recent rumors May add more fuel to the fire that the 2025 film is set on Earth-9997.

    In Earth-X #2, it was revealed that Franklin Richards, the son of Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman and arguably the most powerful being in the Marvel Universe, eventually became Galactus. It was one of many shocking twists to the established canon of Marvel’s Earth-616 and, eventually, the twists became so twisty that the original plan to establish Earth-X as the future of Earth-616 were abandoned. However, as one of the publisher’s most imaginative and fertile storytelling environments, it was only matter of time before it’s elements made their way into the MCU…and now it seems as though The Fantastic Four: First Steps may well have borrowed that big Galactus shocker.

    As the plot for the story begins to take shape, a new rumor indicates that Franklin Richards will be a major player in The Fantastic Four; First Steps despite being only four-years old. The news, shared by reliable Marvel insider Daniel RPK, calls to mind an old rumor about the film which had Franklin as the focal point of Galactus’ trip to Earth. In that scenario, it was rumored that Galactus was interested in the child because in the alternate timeline of the project, Franklin was Galactus, just as in the Earth-X books!

    Should the rumors about Franklin and Galactus be true, they might go a long way on explaining why the Fantastic Four have to find a new home after the events of the film. In the Earth-X continuity, the Celestials seed planets with eggs which are ultimately consumed by Galactus. This idea isn’t too far removed from what was seen in Eternals and could readily be adapted to explain why the native Earth of the MCU’s Fantastic Four ceased to exist and why the team at ultimately seek out a new home where they can save the day from the threat of Galactus. Of course, it’s all speculation until it’s not but it’s worth a think!

  • Marvel TV Boss Reveals ‘Wonder Man’s Episode Count

    Marvel TV Boss Reveals ‘Wonder Man’s Episode Count

    Wonder Man continues to be one of Marvel’s most enigmatic projects. Announced via trade report in June 2022, the series was created by Destin Daniel Cretton but was never acknowledged by the studio until Marvel Parliament member Stephen Broussard confirmed it was happening in a 2023 interview. Incredibly enough, despite being filmed on location in and around Los Angeles, production began and ended with very few set photos or plot leaks, leaving only rumors and speculation about the show’s true nature and some to believe it only to be a product of the Mandela Effect.

    Those rumors included buzz that Wonder Man, which was produced under the Marvel Spotlight banner, would consist of ten episodes. With both WandaVision and Agatha All Along rolling out nine episodes, Wonder Man looked poised to have the highest episode count of any live-action streaming series in Marvel’s D+ era; however, as it turns out, that will not be the case.

    In an interview with Phase Hero, Marvel Studios’ Head of TV, Streaming, and Animation, Brad Winderbaum, set the record straight on the episode count of Wonder Man. “I think Wonder Man is eight episodes. I think it’s an eight-episode series,” said Winderbaum, who also gave some new insight into the project which was recently announced to be headed to Disney Plus in December 2025.

    “It’s a two-hander between two amazing characters, this odd couple of Simon Williams and Trevor Slattery and you get a little bit of glimpse of that in the trailer,” explained Winderbaum, referencing Marvel Studios D+ Look Ahead teaser that was released on October 30th. While Winderbaum’s comments about Slattery’s role in the project were a little revealing, the TV boss wasn’t giving much else away. “I don’t want to go too much into the story details,” he said. “It’s very fun to see people speculating about what they think the plot is. That is part of the fun of it.” To this point, very little information about the plot of the series has made its way online with only an official logline really providing any insight into what to expect.

    Based on the character of Wonder Man, one of Marvel’s oldest characters, first introduced in 1964 in the pages of Avengers No 9. Known as Simon Williams, a celebrity actor and stuntman. In a nutshell, it is a story of two actors struggling to make it in the Hollywood of the MCU, [asking] the big question what does Hollywood look like in a world where super heroes are real?

    -Reported longline for Marvel Television’s Wonder Man
    [Wonder Man will] be definitely influenced by the comics. One of the things that we’re excited about it is that it’s going to feel very unique. It’s not going to feel like anything you’ve quite seen in the MCU before. And the kind of stories we can tell on Disney+, which has been fun. Like streaming, serialized storytelling is a totally different muscle. So, we’re having a blast making that one.

    -Stephen Broussard

    Winderbaum did take the opportunity to give fans a little bit of homework to do ahead of the series’ 2025 release. Illuminating comments made by Broussard, Winderbaum revealed which comics provided inspiration for the Wonder Man series. “If you’re a fan of the West Coast Avengers, you know a little bit about Simon Williams…you’re going to be very excited to see how much homage to the source material there is actually in the show,” teased Winderbaum.

    With over a year to go until its release on Disney Plus, it’ll be interesting to see just how much Marvel reveals about Wonder Man and how much they choose to continue to keep under wraps about the mysterious series.

    Source: Phase Hero

  • ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2 Sets Premiere Window

    ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2 Sets Premiere Window

    The first season of Peacemaker certainly caught audiences off guard, becoming an instant hit with its irreverent comedy and offbeat sense of family. As James Gunn, who created the series, stepped into a new and larger role as the co-chair of DC Studios, a second season of the series was already well into development leaving fans wondering how, if at all, it could fit into the new continuity. While there’s still no answer to that question, we do at least know when the sophomore season of the hit HBO series will stream.

    As part of a series of announcements made by HBO and Max Content CEO and Chairman Casey Bloys, it was revealed that Season 2 of Peacemaker will hit HBO in August 2025.

    Gunn has made it clear that the new season of Peacemaker will be set in the new DCU and there’s been some rumors that there will be some crossover between the series and Gunn’s Superman, set to hit theaters in July 2025, with many wondering if Superman will indeed appear in the new season. Frank Grillo‘s Rick Flag Sr., who will first appear in the animated Creature Commandos, is set to appear in both Superman and Peacemaker Season 2, confirming an overlap in the continuity of the two projects. Now all that’s left is to see how they execute it on screen.

    Source: IGN

  • Kevin Feige Provides Updates on the Futures of Several Major Marvel Characters

    Kevin Feige Provides Updates on the Futures of Several Major Marvel Characters

    Marvel Studios had a fairly large presence at Disney’s D23 Expo in Brazil which ran from November 8th through November 10th. While no new projects were announced, footage was shown from upcoming projects from all the studios under the Marvel umbrella. Marvel Studios showcased its 2025 film slate with Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps; Marvel Television shared a look at next March’s Daredevil: Born Again; Marvel Animation unveiled the first trailer for Season 3 of What If…?, which debuts on December 22nd, and gave the fans a look at Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, which hits D+ on January 29th, 2025.

    Despite not breaking any news on the stage, Marvel Studios One Above All, Kevin Feige, did have plenty to say to the Brazilian outlet Omelete about the potential futures of several big-time MCU players.

    Blade

    “We are committed to Blade,” said the Feigster. “We love the character. We love Mahershala’s take on him. And rest assured: whenever we change direction with a project, or are still figuring out how it fits into our schedule, we let the audience know. You’re all up to date on what’s happening. But I can tell you that the character will indeed make it to the MCU.”

    Parsing words a bit, it does seem interesting that Feige chose to say that “the character would indeed make it to the MCU” rather than the film. It may ultimately be nitpicking but it is worth noting and tracking as things continue to develop.

    Deadpool and Wolverine

    After finishing up an incredible run in theaters, Deadpool & Wolverine is now available digitally and, as of November 12th, is streaming on Disney Plus where it’s sure to generate another round of hype. According to Feige, fans can probably expect to see more of the odd couple. “The plans with Deadpool and Wolverine will always be the same,” teased Feige. “We’re always wondering where we can fit them in, and how quickly.” With rumors that both characters will have roles in the studio’s 2027 Multiverse Saga finale, Avengers: Secret Wars, it may not be too long before the deadly duo suits up again.

    Scarlet Witch

    Despite apparently sacrificing herself to destroy the Darkhold in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Wanda Maximoff’s future in the MCU has never really been up for debate. In late 2022, Feige made it clear that the studio had plans for the character and recently those plans have started to take shape with WandaVision and Agatha All Along creator Jac Schaeffer rumored to be developing a solo Scarlet Witch project. Even star Elizabeth Olsen has recently teased a very specific direction in which she’d like to see the character’s story move, leaving little room for doubt that Wanda will indeed be back in the MCU.

    And now, whatever room remained to harbor doubt was wiped out by Feige in Brazil.”We had Agatha All Along on Disney+ just now, and that series was great for us. Since then, there have been a lot of questions about Wanda in fans’ minds,” said Feige. “So all I can say is that we’re excited to find out when and how Scarlet Witch can come back.” New rumors suggest the character will play a large role in Avengers: Doomsday; if those rumors are true, we’ll likely find out soon as the film is expected to go before cameras in early 2025.

    X-Men

    marvel studios x-men

    Fans have been eagerly awaiting Marvel Studios’ take on the X-Men since the live-action rights to the characters were acquired as part of Disney’s 2019 merger with Fox. And while some mutants have been sprinkled into other projects over the past few years, the studio does have much larger plans for the X-Men, including a film being written by Michael Lesslie. While there was some hope it might end up in the Multiverse Saga, Feige put all that talk to bed in Brazil.

    “When we were preparing for Avengers: Endgame years ago, it was a matter of getting to the grand finale of our narrative, and then we had to start all over again after that,” Feige explained. “This time, on the road to Secret Wars, we already know very well what’s going to happen. be the story until then and beyond. The X-Men are an important part of that future.” With a script already in the works, it’s very possible that Phase 7 of the MCU (if Phases are even a thing anymore) could lead off with Marvel Studios X-Men.

    Eternals

    eternals 2

    Perhaps in part because of the success of Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel Studios made the choice to develop a film around the Eternals, an obscure group of characters created by Jack Kirby in the 1970s. However, rather than lean into what Kirby intended the characters to be, the studio stripped them of everything their creator built into them that was of interest. The result was a film that was poorly received critically despite having one of the MCU’s most impressive ensemble casts.

    Before it flopped in theaters, there seemed to be big plans for the characters introduced in Eternals. That no longer seems to be the case with Feige already saying “there are no immediate plans for Eternals 2” earlier this year and now indicating that whole the studio remains “very proud of that movie” adding that cast was incredible” while giving no indication that’s something he’s actually attempting to do.“We’d be lucky to get any of them back at some point,” he closed, which would be a strange thing to say if he were planning on using the characters.

    Inhumans

    Originally in development as a film for a 2019 release, Marvel’s Inhumans was pulled from the slate in 2016. From there, the property moved to Marvel TV and ultimately turned into one of the most ridiculously embarrassing projects the company ever produced.

    Though Anson Mount‘s Black Bolt did appear in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it’s never really seemed as though Feige had large-scale plans for the Inhumans within the confines of the MCU. And if his response to a question about the characters is any indication, he still doesn’t have any. “We’ll see where, if, and when, they return,” replies Feige to an inquiry about their MCU future. At least we’ll always have that great moment where one of Marvel’s most disciplined heroes accidentally killed himself!

    Source: Omlete

  • Denzel Washington Reveals Upcoming MCU Role

    Denzel Washington Reveals Upcoming MCU Role

    The MCU has dominated pop culture over parts of three different decades. Marvel Studios projects have launched careers, relaunched careers and been a sought after by many veteran actors who, in some cases, are fans of the connected universe themselves, or, in other cases, are happy to collect a big paycheck. Icons such as Ben Kingsley, Michelle Pfeiffer, Michael Douglas and Harrison Ford have all brought their star power the MCU and now one of the biggest stars of all time has revealed he is finally ready to do so as well.

    While promoting Gladiator II in an interview with The Today Show, Denzel Washington shared the news that Black Panther franchise writer/director Ryan Coogler has created a role for him in Black Panther 3.

    While outlining the next steps in his incredible career to the Today Show, Washington said “Ryan Coogler is writing a part for me in the next Black Panther.“ While Marvel Studios has yet to officially announce a third film in the franchise, it was rumored earlier this year that Coogler had committed to the project.

    Source: Twitter

  • Kevin Feige Finally Addresses Miles Morales’ MCU Future

    Kevin Feige Finally Addresses Miles Morales’ MCU Future

    Since debuting in the pages of Marvel Comics in 2011, Miles Morales has grown into one of the publisher’s most popular and beloved characters. Thanks to starring in video games and two animated Spider-Verse films, Morales’ star has continued to shine leaving really only one last medium to conquer: live-action.

    Despite Sony’s continued insistence in developing live-action films about their stable of Spidey-related characters, they’ve never moved forward with a live-action Miles Morales project. Earlier this year, it was reported that at least part of why Sony hasn’t made a solo Morales film yet was because Amy Pascal and Kevin Feige had agreed to bring him into the MCU in Spider-Man 4. And now as Feige joined the party at D23 Brazil, it sounds as though that may truly be the case.

    Innan interview with Omelete, Feige was asked about the future of Miles Morales and gave a very interesting response.

    “Miles will appear in the third ‘Spider-Verse’ movie, which is in production,” said the Feigster, adding, “I hope that, shortly after that, he can enter the MCU in live-action.”

    Though the third Spider-Verse film is currently undated after being removed from its originally planned March 2024 release, it’s likely to hit theaters before Spider-Man 4, which was recently slotted into July 2026. If that’s the case, Feige may have just teased the MCU debut of Morales being just a couple of years away!

    Source: Omelete

  • Lucasfilm Revelas ‘Andor’ Season 2 Release Date

    Lucasfilm Revelas ‘Andor’ Season 2 Release Date

    Despite the popularity of The Mandalorian, Andor remains the gold standard in terms of Lucasfilm’s Star Wars streaming series. Andor was an immediate hit with fans when it launched on Disney Plus in Fall 2022 and fans have been eagerly anticipating the upcoming second season, which was originally intended to stream in 2024. Those plans changed, however, with the second and final season of the series being pushed to 2025, though a release window wasn’t provided…until now.

    According to an advertisment seen on the Disney Plus mobile app, Season 2 of Andor is set to debut on the service on April 22nd.

    The series, which stars Diego Luna as the title character who first appeared in Rogue One, was created by Tony Gilroy and introduced a cast of all-new characters into the galaxy far, far away. The second season will serve as a direct prequel to Rogue One and will see Forest Whitaker, Ben Mendelsohn and Alan Tudyk return to reprise their respective characters from the 2016 film.

    Source: Screen Rant

  • Marvel Studios Reportedly Bedeviled by the Prospects of Reteaming with One of 2024’s Biggest Surprises

    Marvel Studios Reportedly Bedeviled by the Prospects of Reteaming with One of 2024’s Biggest Surprises

    2024 may not have been the year Marvel Studios had planned it to be a couple of years ago but it was exactly the year it needed to be. Once set to see four feature films, including Fantastic Four, and four live-action streaming series, including Daredevil: Born Again, roll out over the course of the year, the planned 2024 slate took a major hit as Bob Iger forced Kevin Feige and the Marvel Parliament to take a moment to sit in the corner and think about what they had done. As a result, the live-action slate was pared down to 2 series and 1 film; however, the studio found incredible success in its reduced release schedule with a return to form at the box office and arguably its most complete streaming series to date. As they look in the rearview mirror on what did and did not work in 2024, the studio will see more good than bad for the first time in a few years.

    Marvel Studios’ one and only 2024 theatrical release, Deadpool & Wolverine, looked to be a surefire hit and while it was certainly not universally loved by critics, the bloody buddy comedy put butts in seats and reminded most fans of how to have a good time at a Marvel Studios movie. While those butts were in those seats, the unspoiled in the audience were treated to some incredible surprises in the film as non-Marvel Studios OGs such as Wesley Snipes‘ Blade, Jennifer Garner‘s Elektra and Chris Evans‘ Johnny Storm popped up for more-than-just-a-cameo appearances. As surprising as it was to see those actors reprise those roles, Channing Tatum‘s Gambit stole the show as audiences fell in love with the actor’s long-awaited debut as the Cajun. It didn’t take long for fans to begin to call for more of Tatum‘s mumbly mutie. And with a little post-credit magic here and a deleted scene there, more of Tatum as Gambit in the MCU seemed to possibly be in the cards. Now it seems as though it might be more likely than anyone might have ever believed.

    In a recent interview with EW, Deadpool & Wolverine star Ryan Reynolds claimed that the decision makers at Marvel Studios are “obsessed” with Tatum as Gambit while drawing a comparison to his own struggle to get Deadpool to the big screen.

    “I honestly don’t know what goes on behind closed doors in the bookkeeping sessions at Marvel, but I do know that they’re obsessed with him in that role,” said Reynolds. “It’s kind of like the same situation I went through. Once you show that it works well, that’s really what they need. Sometimes they just need to see it in action.” Reynolds’s passion for Deadpool kept hope alive for years that a reasonable version of the character to finally make it to the big screen and paid off with two successful Fox films and a major win at the box office for Marvel Studios. As referenced in his comments, Tatum had to endure a similar process after his long-gestating Gambit solo film was cancelled when Disney merged with Fox.

    And Channing is so singular in how he plays that character but also he’s so beautiful physically, the way he moves and the way he can pick up steps.

    Ryan Reynolds on Channing Tatum as Gambit

    Obviously Tatum’s future as Gambit is not for Reynolds to decide but with the buzz his performance in Deadpool & Wolverine created and Marvel Studios moving toward their own mutant era, it’s hard to imagine fans won’t get the chance to see Tatum make even more of a name for himself as the beloved X-Man.

    Source: EW via Variety

  • What I Heard This Week: John Malkovich’s ‘Fantastic’ Role

    What I Heard This Week: John Malkovich’s ‘Fantastic’ Role

    At 70 years old, John Malkovich has shown no interest in pumping the brakes on what has been a prodigious acting career. With a film career that began in earnest 40 years and over 70 projects ago on his resume, the actor has remained as busy as ever, starring in 14 movies in the 2020s as well as taking on recurring roles in 4 streaming series including The New Pope, Space Force and Billions. However, despite his very full plate, the eccentric actor made the decision to jump into one of Hollywood’s most popular franchises.

    In May 2024, a Hollywood trade report broke the news that Malkovich had joined the very impressive cast of Marvel Studios The Fantastic Four: First Steps in an unknown role. Speculation around Malkovich’s role had the actor filling in as anyone from Phillip Masters, aka the Puppet Master to Reed Richards’ time-traveling father, Nathaniel, and many other interesting roles in between. As it turns out, Malkovich will be portraying one of the Fantastic Four’s oldest foes and one I speculated might end up in the film in February 2024.

    This week, I heard that Malkovich is playing Marvel Comics’ villain and twisted genius Ivan Kragoff. First introduced in January 1963’s Fantastic Four #13, Kragoff is better known as the Red Ghost, a recurring foe of Marvel’s First Family who often used his army of Super-Apes to aid him in his plans.

    A brilliant Russian scientist, Kragoff was fascinated with Cosmic Rays and, following the exposure of the Fantastic Four to them built his own spacecraft, loaded it up with primates and intentionally exposed himself to Cosmic Rays as well. He and his simian sidekicks were all mutated by the exposure and took on the Fantastic Four on the Blue Area of the Moon. Malkovich has a famously horrible Russian accent which he has shown off in both Rounders and Billions and given how sharp director Matt Shakman is, that’s almost certainly part of the reason Malkovich is playing Red Ghost.

    As speculated back in February, given that The Fantastic Four: First Steps is set in the 1960s and that Reed, Sue, Johnny and Ben’s mission to space will be part of the film, the Space Race may well be included. If so, Malkovich’s role as Kragoff makes sense as he both fits the mold of many Marvel Studios villains in that his origins as a villain are uniquely tied to the heroes and he also has enough ties to other characters and potential storylines that he could be kept around and used again down the road.

    Once upon a time, Malkovich was set to play the Vulture in Sam Raimi‘s scuttled Spider-Man 4 and we once dreamt of the star joining other eccentric legends like Beneci del Toro and Jeff Goldblum as Elders of the Universe in the MCU. Alas, fate had its own plans and know we know who John Malkovich is being.

    The Fantastic Four: First Steps is set to hit theaters on July 26, 2024.