John Malkovich joins theMCUinThe Fantastic Four: First Steps, and like many of his previous roles, the actor’s character is very mysterious. The first trailer for the MCU’s Fantastic Four film recently debuted and featured quick glimpses at the film’s incredible cast,including Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richardsand Vanessa Kirby’s Sue Storm. While it focuses on the film’s main heroes, along with a quick shot ofRalph Ineson’s Galactus, the trailer also includes a brief shot of a bearded Malkovich emerging from the shadows.
TheCon Airactor was announced as part of the cast back in May 2024, but it still may be surprising for casual audiences to see Malkovich appear in this trailer. Marvel is great at scouting talent, and Malkovich is one of the most versatile and renowned actors working today. He’s also known for his eccentric personality that often blends between his characters and real-life persona. Hopefully, he will bring his unique charm to his MCU character, but it’s still unknown who he’s playing inThe Fantastic Four.
John Malkovich’s MCU Character Is Still Unconfirmed
Malkovich’s Marvel Identity Is Unknown Despite His Trailer Appearance
The Fantastic Fourtrailer revealed most of the film’s main cast. In addition to Pascal and Kirby’s characters, the trailer includes looks at Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s Ben Grimm and Joseph Quinn’s Johnny Storm. The trailer also revealed what these characters look like in their CGI forms. There are still plenty of secrets Marvel has hidden, including Galactus' face and what Julia Garner’s Silver Surfer looks like.Garner plays Shalla-Bal, rather than the Norrin Radd Silver Surfer audiences are used to, so Marvel likely doesn’t want to spoil her design.
Several cast members playunconfirmed characters, including Malkovich, who appears in the trailer with a long, white, scraggly beard. Other cast members whose identities are concealed include Paul Walter Hauser and Natasha Lyonne. Rumors are thatHauser may be voicing H.E.R.B.I.E., the robot in the trailer, while Lyonne plays Alicia Masters, a blind artist who is a frequent love interest for The Thing. The internet has already developed many theories regarding who Malkovich could be playing, and his trailer appearance will likely make these theories explode.
Who John Malkovich Could Be Playing After His Fantastic Four Trailer First Look
The Internet Has Created Many Theories About Malkovich’s Character
Malkovich could be playing an unexpected character that no one has predicted yet. However, there are several popular choices that the internet believes Malkovich could be playing. The first is Mole Man, who is rumored to appear in the film. Mole Man appeared in 1961’sThe Fantastic Four #1and is the first villain Marvel’s First Family ever encountered. Mole Man, originally known as Harvery Rupert Elder, was a nuclear engineer rejected by his peers due to his fascination with the Hollow Earth theory.
During his underground explorations, he discovered a realm called Subterranea and became its ruler, using his new resources to attack the upper world. Mole Man’s inclusion inThe Fantastic Fourwould be a nice nod to the team’s history, especially with the film’s 1960s aesthetic. However, it’s unlikely that Malkovich portrays him, since his appearance in the trailer doesn’t resemble Mole Man from Marvel Comics.
One Marvel character Malkovich resembles more is Ivan Kragoff, a.k.a. The Red Ghost. Ivan is a Soviet scientist who was hellbent on beating the Americans to the moon. After learning aboutThe Fantastic Four and their abilities, he recruited a team of well-trained monkeys and used cosmic rays to give his team superpowers. The Red Ghost is a more likely character for Malkovich, especially with his ties to the Space Race. The trailer features many shots of rockets launching and The Fantastic Four in space suits.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps Trailer Breakdown - 20 Biggest Reveals From The MCU Movie Trailer Explained
The trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps is here, providing plenty of reveals, Easter eggs, and references for the anticipated MCU adventure.
Another popular option is Nathaniel Richards, Reed’s father. In Marvel Comics, Nathaniel gains the ability to travel through time but disappears from Reed’s life after encountering many alternate versions of himself that attempt to kill him. He enters another dimension, where he marries a power-hungry woman named Cassandra who uses his technology to rule humankind. After being saved by The Fantastic Four, Nathaniel stayed in the alternate dimension, but eventually returned to kidnapReed’s and Sue’s son, Franklin.
This theory has a good chance of being true, considering how the multiverse will impact this film. While not shown in the trailer,The Fantastic Four: First Stepsis set in an alternate reality, meaning the team will need some way to cross over to Earth–616. The idea of the multiverse could be introduced to them by Nathaniel Richards, who recently returned from an alternate dimension, explaining his disheveled appearance. The cast ofThe Fantastic Four: First Stepsare confirmed to appear inAvengers: Doomsday, so Malkovich’s Nathaniel Richards could be the key to getting them into the main MCU timeline.
