Unlike other MCU epics like Avengers: Endgame and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Marvel Studios’ upcoming adventure, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, won’t hover around the three-hour mark. According to a post by BBFC, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is 116 minutes long, making it one of the shortest films in MCU history.
One reason The Fantastic Four: First Steps could be shorter than typical for a sprawling MCU affair is that John Malkovich’s role as Ivan Kragoff, aka the Red Ghost, is no longer part of the film. According to First Steps director Matt Shakman, Malkovich’s Red Ghost appeared in an early sequence of the movie, with the Fab Four battling the villain and his army of Super-Apes.
“There were a lot of things that ultimately ended up hitting the cutting room floor,” Shakman explained to Variety. “When we were building a ’60s retro-future world, introducing all of these villains, introducing these four main characters as a group, as well as individually, introducing the idea of a child — there was a lot of stuff to balance in this movie and some things had to go ultimately in terms of shaping the film for its final version.”
Shakman added that Malkovich was “brilliant” in the film and “gave it his all,” which made it all the more “heartbreaking” when he realized he had to leave him on the cutting room floor.
Another reason The Fantastic Four: First Steps has a shorter runtime is that the film doesn’t need to overstay its welcome. Sometimes, Marvel movies are a bit long in the tooth, with some bits best left on the cutting room floor. By removing any meandering plot elements, First Steps can maintain a tight focus on the film’s prime directive, introducing the family, and setting them up for their MCU future.
The official synopsis for The Fantastic Four: First Steps reads: Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” introduces Marvel’s First Family—Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ben Grimm/The Thing 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.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps will launch Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Matt Shakman (WandaVision) directing from a script by Eric Pearson, Josh Friedman, Jeff Kaplan, and Ian Springer. The film stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic; Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, aka the Invisible Woman; Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, aka the Human Torch; Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm, aka the Thing; and Julia Garner as the Shalla-Bal version of the Silver Surfer. Additionally, the great Ralph Ineson plays Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds. Paul Walter Hauser, Natasha Lyonne, and Sarah Niles also joined the cast of the retro-future movie, and Matthew Wood provides the voice of the robot H.E.R.B.I.E.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps opens in theaters on July 25, 2025.