Highlights
- A new Fantastic Four film is set for release in 2025 with a star-studded cast.
- John Malkovich joins the cast in a mystery role, sparking speculation among fans.
- There are a few possible roles Malkovich could play, such as Puppet Master or Molecule Man, among others.
Excitement is building for Matt Shakman’s The Fantastic Four, which is set for release on July 25, 2025. The superhero team will officially be joining the MCU and expectations are high that they could be part of a revitalized Marvel slate. News broke this week of two-time Oscar winner, John Malkovich joining the cast in a mystery role, which has got fans speculating who the Hollywood legend could be playing.
Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach have all been cast in the upcoming project as the eponymous superheroes, with Julia Garner’s Silver Surfer also confirmed for the movie. Paul Walter Hauser has also recently been cast in a mystery role in the 1960s set movie.
Who could John Malkovich be playing in Fantastic Four?
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The Fantastic Four |
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Starring |
Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Julia Garner, Paul Walter Hauser, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, John Malkovich, Paul Walter Hauser and Ralph Ineson |
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Written By |
Josh Friedman, Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer |
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Directed By |
Matt Shakman |
John Malkovich’s MCU casting in The Fantastic Four was another positive sign that this iteration of the popular superhero team could finally stick the landing after a run of disappointing entries in the series. Fantastic Four came out in 2005, and many fans were let down by this version, but it made enough money to justify a sequel, which arrived soon after in 2007 with Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.
This was the end of this particular iteration and Reed Richards, Ben Grimm and Johnny and Sue Storm disappeared from the big screen until 2015, when the franchise was rebooted with a new group of actors taking on the iconic foursome. However, this entry was critically panned, and it will be ten years between that version and Matt Shakman’s new movie when it comes out next year.
This latest casting announcement is shrouded in mystery, as nobody knows who John Malkovich will play in the new movie, with fans speculating about who it could be. Malkovich has made a career of playing bad guys, so it’s quite feasible he will do so again in The Fantastic Four. Having said that, he’s an actor who possesses versatility in droves, so he could quite possibly be on the side of the good guys. Let’s take a look at the possibilities:
Puppet Master
One of the longest running villains faced by The Fantastic Four is Puppet Master (a.k.a. Philip Masters. He first appeared in the eighth issue of the original comic book series, and he was a mad scientist with the ability to manipulate people via radioactive clay puppets he creates for them. He is also the stepfather of Alicia Masters, a blind woman who he is very abusive towards. She becomes aligned with The Fantastic Four and even becomes a love interest of Ben Grimm. Malkovich is no stranger to playing mean characters, so it’s a viable possibility he could be playing this complex character.
Nathaniel Richards
Nathaniel Richards is an accomplished scientist and the father of Reed Richards and first appeared during The Fantastic Four‘s 1980s run. Nathaniel’s scientific abilities allow him to travel throughout time, and he even ends up in another dimension and serves as both an ally and an adversary to the team.
It would be interesting if Malkovich played the on-screen father of Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards, and he could be used as a good or bad character, or even a mix of the two in the new movie. In the comics, Nathaniel had a hand in launching the Future Foundation, which has been confirmed to play a part in the new movie.
Molecule Man
Owen Reece (a.k.a Molecule Man) is another early Fantastic Four villain who could possibly be the character Malkovich plays in the new movie. Molecule Man was a disgruntled lab technician at a nuclear plant, whose exposure to radiation mutated him into a superpowered being. This brings him to the attention of both The Fantastic Four and the Beyonder.
Avengers: Secret Wars is confirmed for 2027, and Molecule Man played a key role in the original version of that story, so it’s quite feasible Malkovich could be taking on this character. If he does, it could be a long-running role for him in the future, rather than just a one movie role.
Franklin Storm
Dr. Franklin Storm is the father of Sue Storm and Johnny Storm and a surgeon by trade, who ends up in prison after being charged with manslaughter. However, he eventually gets swapped with the Super-Skrull, which begins a fight that ultimately leads to his death.
Franklin was portrayed by Reg E. Cathey in 2015’s Fantastic Four. However, this movie was poorly received, so it’s unlikely the 2025 movie will return to this character’s story.
What else has John Malkovich been in?
John Malkovich is a two-time Oscar nominee, and has had an illustrious career in the movie industry. His most memorable movies came in the 90s with his iconic role of Cyrus “the Virus” Grissom in the top 90s action thriller, Con Air, and the quirky comedy drama, Being John Malkovich, where he played a twisted version of himself, as a puppeteer discovers a portal that leads into his head.
Malkovich’s most recent role was in Apple TV+’s drama series The New Look, in which he played French fashion designer Lucien Lelong. He also recently appeared in the finale of Netflix’s Ripley, and seven episodes of Showtime’s Billions. Malkovich has also appeared in a string of indie features recently, including Fool’s Paradise and The Line.
Malkovich will next be seen in A24’s horror movie, Opus and the biopic The Yellow Tie, which is the story of famed Romanian conductor Sergiu Celibidache. He is also scheduled to appear in numerous other projects before he makes his MCU debut in The Fantastic Four.
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