John Malkovich will be making his cast of The Fantastic Four: First Steps in May 2024, alongside the likes of Paul Walter Ha, Natasha Lyonne and Ralph Ineson. While the latter has been confirmed to be the planet-eater Galactus, the identity of Ha, Lyonne and Malkovich's new MCU characters haven't been revealed.
The development of the Fantastic Four than you realize, and could even connect the team to some of the MCU's pre-established characters.
John Malkovich’s MCU Character Hasn’t Yet Been Confirmed
John Malkovich Has Been Rumored For A Number Of New MCU Characters
Ever since his casting in The Fantastic Four: First Steps was announced back in May 2024, speculation has been rife regarding who John Malkovich will be playing in the Multiverse Saga movie. Since First Steps will be set in an alternate universe, the opportunities are practically limitless, as Marvel Studios has few restrictions when deciding who to include in the reboot. One of the most popular early suggestions was Mole Man, the Fantastic Four's first villain from Marvel Comics and the ruler of Subterranea, but Malkovich doesn't really have the right look for Mole Man.
More recently, the teaser trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps spurred theories that Malkovich could be playing Ivan Kragoff, a.k.a. Red Ghost, given the Marvel Comics character's long, white hair. Kragoff trained and enhanced the "Super-Apes" and used them to battle the Fantastic Four in one of Marvel's weirder chapters. It's also been suggested that Malkovich could be portrayed Franklin Storm, the father of the Invisible Woman and the Human Torch, who is killed by Skrulls in Marvel Comics, but there may be an even better character for John Malkovich in the MCU.
John Malkovich Would Be Perfect As Nathaniel Richards (Not Kang) In The Fantastic Four: First Steps
The Original Nathaniel Richards Is A Very Important Figure In Marvel Comics
Perhaps the perfect character that John Malkovich could play in The Fantastic Four: First Steps would be Nathaniel Richards, Reed Richards' own father. Nathaniel Richards is a scientist and adventurer in Marvel Comics, who gained the ability to time travel after solving a dispute between Leonardo da Vinci and Isaac Newton. While Nathaniel was all but absent for the majority of Reed Richards' life, he had a genuine love for his son, and helped the Fantastic Four on numerous occasions. John Malkovich would be an inspired choice for this complex character.
The time-traveling Nathaniel Richards is an ancestor of his namesake, Nathaniel Richards, who would go on to become the supervillain Kang the Conqueror in all his guises.
Reed Richards' father has never been adapted for live-action before, with Tim Heidecker's character from 2015's Fantastic Four being Reed's step-father, so it's high time he got his live-action debut. Marvel Studios would benefit from exploring more of Reed Richards' personal life and backstory, and John Malkovich, being the incredible actor he is, is the perfect candidate to fill this role. Nathaniel Richards' debut in The Fantastic Four: First Steps would be game-changing for the MCU, but could also flesh out the story of other notable characters.
Nathaniel Richards Could Bring The Fantastic Four To The MCU’s Main Continuity
The Fantastic Four Will Presumably Earth-616 In The MCU's Phase 6
The Fantastic Four: First Steps has been confirmed to be the first live-action MCU movie set entirely in an alternate universe, allowing Marvel to fully take advantage of exploring the Multiverse Saga. However, it's expected that the movie will somehow bring Marvel's First Family into the MCU's main continuity of Earth-616, possibly after failing to defeat Galactus or coming face-to-face with Doctor Doom. While this has become a popular theory, it's unclear how the Fantastic Four would jump from one reality to another, but Nathaniel Richards' debut could provide an explanation.
I'm Convinced 1 Original Fantastic Four Movie Actor's 3 Different Marvel Roles Over 31 Years Make Him The Perfect Candidate For A Major MCU Return Theory
I think the MCU's The Fantastic Four: First Steps is the perfect place to pay homage to one actor's little-known, three-decade-long Marvel career.
Marvel Comics' Nathaniel Richards has a genius-level intellect and has the ability to time travel via the use of an invention of his own making: the Time Platform. We've already these Time Platforms in the MCU, as Reed Richards enters using one in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Kang's variants converge in their stadium via Time Platforms in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. It's possible this could be used, or Nathaniel Richards could design something new, to bring the Fantastic Four to the safety of Earth-616, and John Malkovich would deliver this remarkable inventor vibe perfectly.
Marvel May Quietly Continue Kang’s Storyline Without Recasting Him Yet
Kang The Conqueror Shouldn't Be Forgotten In The MCU's Multiverse Saga
The Fantastic Four: First Steps has been theorized to include the first cameo appearance of Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom in the MCU. While this hasn't yet been confirmed, Doctor Doom is being introduced to the MCU in order to replace Kang the Conqueror and his villainous variants, who were portrayed by the now-convicted Jonathan Majors in Loki and Quantumania. Kang's future is uncertain, though many want to see him recast. It might be too soon for this to take place now that Doom is on his way, but Marvel can still continue Kang's story by debuting Nathaniel Richards.
MCU Kang Variant |
Debut Project |
Year |
|---|---|---|
He Who Remains |
Loki Season 1 |
2021 |
Kang the Conqueror |
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania |
2023 |
Immortus |
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania |
2023 |
Rama-Tut |
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania |
2023 |
Centurion |
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania |
2023 |
Victor Timely |
Loki Season 2 |
2023 |
Kang's real name in Marvel Comics is also Nathaniel Richards, as he is the namesake of his time-traveling ancestor, Reed Richards' father. Confused yet? Reed and Kang are not siblings or even close relatives, but both their bloodlines lead back to Nathaniel Richards. This means that John Malkovich debuting as Nathaniel Richards in The Fantastic Four: First Steps could create the opportunity for some of Kang's backstory and family history to be explored, which could quietly continue his storyline in the MCU while Marvel decides whether to recast him or not.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
- Release Date
- July 25, 2025
- Runtime
- 130 Minutes
- Director
- Matt Shakman
- Writers
- Jeff Kaplan, Josh Friedman, Ian Springer, Eric Pearson, Stan Lee
- Producers
- Jamie Christopher, Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, Tim Lewis
Cast
Reed Richards / Mr. Fantastic
Vanessa KirbySue Storm / The Invisible Woman
Johnny Storm / Human Torch
Ebon Moss-BachrachBen Grimm / The Thing
- Franchise(s)
- Marvel Cinematic Universe
