Ahead of the highly anticipated release of Marvel's "The Fantastic Four: First Steps," fans have speculated about potential plot cuts, including the removal of John Malkovich's villainous character, Ivan Kragoff, also known as Red Ghost, from the final cut.
Red Ghost is one of the earliest Soviet villains to appear in Marvel Comics. He first debuted in "Fantastic Four" #13 in 1963, co-created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. A Soviet scientist, he voluntarily exposed himself to cosmic rays in an attempt to replicate the Fantastic Four's origins, aiming to compete with the U.S. in space technology. As a result, he gained the ability to become intangible, allowing him to pass through walls, evade attacks, and instantly turn invisible. 
Addressing the decision to cut Red Ghost, Director Matt Shakman recently spoke out for the first time, stating that these choices were made for the sake of the overall narrative and emphasized a smooth, conflict-free collaboration with Marvel Studios.
"When you decide to cut something, there's always a reason," Shakman told Collider. He explained that from a broader perspective, these deletions are justifiable. "While difficult to make during post-production—likening it to choosing between 'seeing the trees or the entire forest'—you ultimately know it's all for the benefit of a better story." 
Shakman admitted that with "The Fantastic Four" boasting an incredible cast and an excellent design and cinematography team, many scenes were indeed hard to let go of. However, if those moments didn't advance the main narrative, they had to be bravely cut. "These scenes were great on their own, but if they didn't make the overall story better, then we shouldn't keep them."
Regarding his collaboration with Marvel Studios, Shakman stated lightheartedly, "I never had to argue with Marvel about anything, and that's the best part about working with them. We all knew what story we wanted to tell and worked together to achieve it."
As a pivotal film in Marvel's Phase Six, "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" is set to successfully reintroduce this iconic hero team and pave the way for the upcoming "Avengers: Doomsday." The film is slated for release on December 18, 2026, when the Fantastic Four will once again emerge to confront a cosmic-level threat.