The first footage for The Fantastic Four: First Steps is finally here, revealing a retro 1960s alternate reality that looks ripped right from the pages of Marvel Comics. The upcoming film, set to hit theaters on July 25, launches Phase 6 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in style, marking the long-awaited introduction of Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), the Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), the Human Torch (Joseph Quinn), and the Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach). The titular team bands together during the events of the film as they find their world in jeopardy from the massive Celestial Galactus (Ralph Ineson), who threatens to devour the Earth itself.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer offers a close-up look at the film’s stellar cast, including several supporting characters who will appear therein. While several notable cast members are absent, including Julia Garner’s Silver Surfer and Natasha Lyonne’s mystery character, others take center stage in the preview. Audiences even get their first look at John Malkovich, who appears in one brief shot of the trailer, stepping out of the shadows and sporting long white hair. Marvel Studios has yet to reveal which comic character the acclaimed actor will be playing in the upcoming film, but several major possibilities stand above the other theories.

Related

10 Strongest Teams The Fantastic Four Can Beat

The Fantastic Four are an extremely powerful team and these match-ups prove just how tough Marvel’s First family truly is.

John Malkovich Could Be Playing the Mole Man

The Mole Man Is the Tyrannical Ruler of Subterranea

John Malkovich could be joining the MCU as the villainous Mole Man. First appearing in The Fantastic Four #1 (1961) by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the Mole Man is the first supervillain that Marvel’s First Family ever fought in the comics. Originally known as Harvey Rupert Elder, the supervillain wasn’t always the Mole Man. He was once a part of the surface world but was routinely abused and discarded by those around him, who hated him because of his disfigured form and visual impairment. Thus, Harvey retreated to a different world altogether, finding himself in the kingdom of Subterranea, a system of holes and tunnels beneath New York City. As the Mole Man, Harvey declared himself the new ruler of Subterranea, commanding an army of brainless drones who lived in the tunnels thereof.

While he isn’t the physically strongest Fantastic Four villain, the Mole Man poses a legitimate threat to the superhero team. As the leader of a legion of subterranean minions known as the Moloids, the Mole Man is one of the most powerful villains in the Marvel universe. This would be an intriguing role to see John Malkovich inhabit in the MCU, adding an air of gravity to the character while still touching on his tragic origins. Since Malkovich’s casting, rumors have abounded that he would play one of multiple different characters. However, it is difficult to deny that the most prominent theory is that he will play the Mole Man. The first footage of his appearance in The Fantastic Four: First Steps doesn’t evoke the Mole Man, but could simply be a misdirection meant to throw fans off the trail of the Fantastic Four’s first enemy.

Related

These Forgotten Fantastic Four Villains Need to Join the MCU

The Fantastic Four have some of Marvel’s very best villains, and the Frightful Four, the evil counterpart team to the FF, are among their best foes.

John Malkovich Could Be Playing the Molecule Man

Molecule Man Plays a Major Role in the Secret Wars Event

The Molecule Man is one of Marvel Comics’ most important villains who may be on the verge of making his live-action debut in the MCU. Owen Reece was a lab technician at a nuclear power plant whose life is changed forever during the events of Fantastic Four #20 (1963) by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. While on the job, Reece accidentally activated one of the nuclear-powered reactors, which pumped him full of radiation from another dimension, turning him into a superhuman mutate. As the Molecule Man, Reece allowed him to alter and control molecules, making him one of the most powerful beings in the universe. His origin was so monumental that it even attracted the attention of the otherworldly Beyonder, leading to the events of the original 1984 Secret Wars event. Molecule Man is most often represented as a villain but is sometimes seen as an antihero. Much of the time, he is simply fighting just to enjoy a quiet life.

John Malkovich would make an excellent Molecule Man, inhabiting one of the most important supervillains in the next chapter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The MCU is set to conclude the Multiverse Saga with a two-part finale, ending with Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027. Fans of the comics know that Molecule Man plays a significant role in every iteration of the Secret Wars event, including Jonathan Hickman’s 2015 storyline on which the upcoming MCU film is based. As such, the MCU needs to introduce the Molecule Man within the next few years so that he will be an established character by the time Secret Wars hits theaters. The Fantastic Four: First Steps seems like the perfect project to introduce the Molecule Man, especially since he was an enemy of the Fantastic Four in the comics.

Related

The Silver Surfer’s Powers and Abilities, Explained

When Norrin Radd became the Silver Surfer and the Herald of Galactus, he gained incredible powers and abilities.

John Malkovich Is Most Likely Playing the Red Ghost

The Red Ghost Is One of the Fantastic Four’s Oldest (and Weirdest) Villains

After the first trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps, one surprising character comes to the forefront as John Malkovich’s potential MCU character: the Red Ghost. Ivan Kragoff was a Soviet scientist who first encountered Marvel’s First Family in Fantastic Four #13 (1963) by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Kragoff was a member of the Soviet initiative to put a man on the moon before the Americans did. After failing this mission, Kragoff learned of the Fantastic Four’s fateful space flight, which gave them incredible superpowers. Wishing to assemble a team of his own, Kragoff recreated the Fantastic Four’s origin with a trio of primates. As a result of the copycat experiment, Miklho the gorilla gained superhuman strength, Peotr the orangutan developed a limited form of telekinesis, and Igor the baboon gained the ability to shapeshift into anyone or anything. Kragoff also accompanied the primates on their fateful space flight, wherein he developed similar powers to those of the Invisible Woman, learning to make his body both intangible and invisible at will. As the Red Ghost, Kragoff led his team of superpowered primates against the Fantastic Four on numerous occasions.

John Malkovich’s look in The Fantastic Four: First Steps closely resembles Ivan Kragoff in Marvel Comics, right down to the long white hair and somewhat destitute look (though Malkovich has added a beard). This lends the most support to the rumors that he will play the Red Ghost in the MCU, bringing one of the Fantastic Four’s oldest and strangest supervillains to live-action for the first time. If Malkovich is indeed playing the Red Ghost, then nothing is off the table for the MCU’s upcoming Fantastic Four reboot. If Marvel is willing to bring a Soviet scientist and his team of superpowered monkeys to the MCU, then there is no telling how deep into the Fantastic Four’s Rogues Gallery the franchise is willing to go.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Release Date

July 25, 2025

Director

Matt Shakman

Writers

Josh Friedman, Jeff Kaplan, Ian Springer