John Malkovich knows his value and isn’t shy about speaking up.
The Con Air and Being John Malkovich actor, set to appear in The Fantastic Four: First Steps in a mystery role, recently shared that he could have joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe much earlier. However, he turned down previous offers because he felt the pay wasn’t good enough.
The reason I didn’t do [Marvel movies] had nothing to do with any artistic considerations whatsoever, I didn’t like the deals they made, at all.
Malkovich told GQ, referencing those who have disparaged the cinematic merits of superhero films.
These films are quite grueling to make… If you’re going to hang from a crane in front of a green screen for six months, pay me. You don’t want to pay me, it’s cool, but then I don’t want to do it, because I’d rather be onstage, or be directing a play, or doing something else.
Malkovich explained,
Malkovich shared that his main reason for joining First Steps was the chance to work with director Matt Shakman again, following their collaboration on the 2014 thriller Cut Bank.
Talking about his experience filming Fantastic Four, Malkovich compared it to theater, saying, “You imagine a bunch of stuff that isn’t there and do your little play.”
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His role in the movie is still a mystery, but he briefly appears with a beard in the teaser trailer released earlier this month. Comic book fans quickly linked that glimpse to Ivan Kragoff, also known as Red Ghost. This character, introduced in 1963, was a Soviet scientist obsessed with space travel. He recreated the same space accident that gave the Fantastic Four their powers, which allowed him to turn intangible.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps hits theaters on July 25 and takes place in a retro-futuristic 1960s during the space race. Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach play the Fantastic Four, a team of heroes tasked with protecting Earth from Galactus (Ralph Ineson). This giant space god wants to consume the entire planet, and his powerful ally, the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner), helps him carry out his plan. The movie also features Paul Walter Hauser, Natasha Lyonne, and Sarah Niles in supporting roles.