John Malkovich and Ralph Ineson Enter ‘The Fantastic Four’

The cast just keeps getting more and more stacked, and so does the MCU! On the heels of Black Bird star, Emmy Winner Paul Walter Hauser joining the cast of The Fantastic Four last week, today we got official news that legendary Academy Award Nominee John Malkovich and The First Omen star, Ralph Ineson, have also joined the ever growing cast of the highly anticipated upcoming Marvel Studios film!

UPDATE: News has just broken via The Hollywood Reporter that the film has now found its Galactus in Ineson. While not a household name, the 6’3” powerhouse has been featured in some terrific films like The Witch, The Northman, and Guillermo Del Toro’s upcoming Frankenstein. He was one of the main players in The First Omen, playing Father Brennan in that movie. He’s a good actor with a lot of charisma and presence. Which is perfect for everyone’s favorite planet devouring villain!

Ralph Ineson as Father Brennan in 20th Century Studios’ THE FIRST OMEN. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Additionally, as reported by Deadline today, much like Hauser’s role, Malkovich’s is currently a complete mystery. After all, Marvel Studios loves its secrets. However, he’s already joining a cast including Hauser, Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as the titular quartet, and Julia Garner as The Silver Surfer. The movie will be directed by WandaVision helmer, Matt Shakman.

This is a huge step forward for the project. Fans are already speculating who Hauser and Malkovich will be playing. Many are theorizing that Hauser will be portraying long-time F4 villain Mole Man. I’m willing to be Malkovich will be playing Philip Masters, aka The Puppet Master. He certainly looks the part, and it would be appropriate if they’re planning to also introduce The Thing’s long-time girlfriend Alicia Masters.

If both prove true, then the Fantastic Four will definitely be up against an entire rogues gallery of veritable villainous veterans. And rumors of Doctor Doom are also rampant. But ultimately time will tell who both actors will be playing, and how they’ll fit into the overall narrative of the film and the MCU as a whole! Stay tuned for more updates as they come, nerds!