"You don't want to pay me"— John Malkovich claims he rejected Marvel movie offers because of the pay
John Malkovich is starring in a mystery Marvel role in the anticipated The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which is coming out in movie theaters on July 25, 2025. It will be the Oscar-nominated actor's Marvel debut, but he claimed that he could have been in previous Marvel films, but turned down the offers because of the pay.
In a recent interview with GQ magazine, published on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, Malkovich said that he turned down several Marvel offers in the past. However, he specified that he did it not because of any "artistic" concerns but because of insufficient pay. He said:
"I didn't like the deals they made, at all. 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."
That said, it wouldn't be long before John Malkovich joins the Marvel universe. But his role in the upcoming movie is still being kept under wraps ever since the news came out that he will be joining that already star-studded The Fantastic Four: First Steps cast in May last year.
The new Marvel movie also stars Pedro Pascal as Mr. Fantastic, Joseph Quinn as The Human Torch, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as The Thing, and Vanessa Kirby as The Invisible Woman. Matt Shakman directs the movie with Peter Cameron as one of the scriptwriters, and both of them worked on WandaVision.
John Malkovich talks about filming The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Talking to GQ magazine about Marvel's upcoming The Fantastic Four: First Steps movie, John Malkovich said that he was surprised to discover what working in the film was like. He claimed that it wasn't that far off when compared to doing theater. He said:
"You imagine a bunch of stuff that isn't here and do your little play."
And while he previously turned down a few offers to star in Marvel films, Malkovich said that there was a reason why he agreed to work on the MCU reboot. He said that he joined the cast mostly because he wanted to work with director Matt Shakman again. Malkovich and Shakman previously collaborated in the crime-mystery thriller Cut Bank in 2014, where the former starred as Sheriff Vogel alongside co-stars Michael Stuhlbarg and Bruce Dern.
Speaking of working together with Shakman, fans have seen a snippet of their new collaboration. Marvel Entertainment released the official teaser of the upcoming The Fantastic Four: First Steps on February 4, 2025.
Besides the main cast and characters, the clip also briefly featured a bearded John Malkovich. Based on the teaser, fans have speculated that he would be playing the cosmonaut and devoted Ivan Kragoff, one of the supervillains also known as The Red Ghost.
John Malkovich has been nominated at the Oscars for his supporting roles in In the Line of Fire and Places in the Heart. His other works include White Elephant, Bird Box, Deepwater Horizon, Warm Bodies, and the RED movies.
