Fantastic Four’s Matt Shakman has revealed why a director’s cut won’t be released for the Marvel movie.
When pressed by Elite Daily on deleted scenes involving John Malkovich’s Red Ghost and if it meant a director’s cut could be in the works, Shakman replied, “There are so many visual effects involved that those scenes remain unfinished, so that’s not possible.”
“We had an opening that involved a lot of action around the Red Ghost. We had an incredible performance from John Malkovich. It was just so much material when we were trying to sort of get to that present day moment where their world changes when the pregnancy happens,” Shakman previously told Phase Hero.
Eagle-eyed Marvel fans have already spotted, Red Ghost aside, that several moments from the initial wave of Fantastic Four: First Steps trailers and marketing were left out of the final cut – which had a relatively svelte runtime of 115 minutes, including a post-credits scene that leads into Avengers: Doomsday.
Despite the slight butchering in the editing room, it hasn’t deterred fans or critics. It’s currently sitting at an 87% review score on aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, four points ahead of Superman. The verified fan score is even better, standing at an exceptional 93%.
The Fantastic Four will next appear in Avengers: Doomsday, though the Fantastic Four: First Steps ending hasn’t made it abundantly clear on how Marvel’s First Family will leap from Earth-828 to Earth-616, especially in the wake of a Thunderbolts post-credits scene that involves a Fantastic Four ship (but not the Excelsior) heading to the Sacred Timeline.
For more, be sure to dive into our guides on the Marvel timeline and how to watch the Marvel movies in order. Need a look at what’s next? Here’s a complete look at the upcoming Marvel movies currently in the works.