There was a time in recent history when Marvel wasn’t a massive powerhouse of a company backed by Disney’s near-inexhaustible resources. Before the company produced the biggest cinematic universe in the history of cinema, it struggled financially in the late 1980s, which caused Marvel to sell movie rights to some of its characters to raise capital. This included Spider-Man and X-Men and their respective related characters, as well as the Hulk, Blade, Ghost Rider, Daredevil, and even Marvel’s First Family — the Fantastic Four.
The latter, along with the X-Men, were bought by 20th Century Fox, who went on to produce two Fantastic Four movies in 2005 and 2007, both with a varying degree of quality. Both movies received mixed to negative reviews from critics due to tone inconsistencies, lack of character depth, weak scripts, and poorly structured narratives. Yet, despite these past shortcomings, there are reasons to be optimistic about the upcoming Fantastic Four: First Steps — one of which is the casting of John Malkovich as a villainous Ivan Kragoff.
While most casual fans know of Doctor Doom, Galactus, Mole Man, and Kang the Conqueror as some of the most formidable villains the Fantastic Four has ever faced, Ivan Kragoff (AKA the Red Ghost) is another notable villain in the Fantastic Four rogues’ gallery. According to comic book history, Ivan Kragoff is a genius supervillain who first appeared in 1963’s Fantastic Four #13 as a Soviet scientist who sought to duplicate the accident that gave the Fantastic Four their powers. Thus, he exposed himself and his three specially trained primates to cosmic rays.
After exposure to cosmic rays, Kragoff and his three apes (Mikhlo the gorilla, Igor the baboon, and Peotr the orangutan) gain superhuman, or should we say super-primate powers. Kragoff himself becomes intangible and invisible, Mikhlo gains super-strength, Igor gains the ability to shapeshift, and Peotr gains control over magnetism. The issue ends with the Fantastic Four eventually defeating Kragoff and his apes and leaving them on the moon. Sadly for Kragoff, the Super-Apes rebelled against him, leading to his defeat.
However, that wasn’t the last the Fantastic Four had heard of Kragoff; the issue set the stage for future encounters between the super-hero team and the Red Ghost, establishing Kragoff as a recurring adversary with a unique blend of scientific knowledge and superhuman abilities. Sadly, not much is known about Malkovich’s portrayal of the character in the upcoming movie, at least in terms of screen time the character is going to receive.
With that said Marvel couldn’t have picked a better actor for the role, considering Malkovich’s great talent and versatility allow him to tackle a wide range of roles across various genres, from dramatic and intense performances to comedic and eccentric characters. Just look at Vicomte de Valmont from 1988’s Dangerous Liaisons, Cyros from Con Air, or the Duke from The New Pope. However, we have a feeling that his role as Ivan Kragoff might be more comparable to his performance as Marvin Boggs from 2010’s RED and its sequel.
Whether or not that’s really the case remains to be seen. It’s worth noting that this isn’t the first time John Malkovich was potentially attached to the role of a Marvel villain. The actor was previously in negotiations to play Vulture in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 4, but the movie was ultimately scrapped in favor of The Amazing Spider-Man, starring Andrew Garfield. However, neither Vulture nor Malkovich appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man, although the former was the main antagonist of 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming, where he was played by Michael Keaton.
And, just like in the comics at the time of Ivan Kragoff’s debut, the upcoming Fantastic Four: First Steps is actually set in the alternate-reality version of New York City during the 1960s. The film’s plot remains largely under wraps, as is always the case with Marvel’s upcoming releases, especially for IPs whose previous cinematic adaptations had failed at the box office. From what we currently know, the main antagonist of the movie is Galactus, with his enigmatic herald, the Silver Surfer — as was the case with 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.
While we do have John Malkovich as Ivan Kragoff, actors Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach are portraying Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johny Storm, and Ben Grimm, respectively. Julia Garner is playing the role of Shalla-Bal, the wife of Norrin Rad (the Silver Surfer), and actor Ralph Ineson will play Galactus. So, what happened to Robert Downey Jr.’s Victor von Doom? Apparently, he’s nowhere to be found, at least not yet. That doesn’t exclude the possibility of him appearing in the mid- or post-credits scene, which is Marvel’s usual way of introducing overarching Big Bads.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is scheduled to hit theaters on July 25, 2025, as part of Phase 6 of the MCU.
