John Malkovich rejected multiple offers from Marvel Studios before finally agreeing to star in this summer’s “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” the actor recently revealed. The reason why he passed on Marvel’s past overtures is simple and shockingly practical: He wanted more money than the studio was willing to pay him.
“The reason I didn’t do them had nothing to do with any artistic considerations whatsoever. I didn’t like the deals they made, at all,” Malkovich told GQ in a new interview. “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.”
The actor’s comments came just a week after Harrison Ford said his “Captain America: Brave New World” paycheck helped him look past even the most absurd requirements of his Red Hulk role. Malkovich was presumably happier with Marvel’s “Fantastic Four” offer than those he had rejected, but he shared with GQ that he was also excited by the prospect of reuniting with the film’s director, Matt Shakman. The pair previously collaborated on Shakman’s 2014 crime thriller “Cut Bank.”
Sporting long hair and a beard, Malkovich appears very briefly in the debut “Fantastic Four: First Steps” trailer. His character’s identity is being kept under wraps for the time being, which means it is unclear what Malkovich’s future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe beyond “Fantastic Four” might be, or if there is even a chance of him returning again in a different project.
He has not shared any details about his “Fantastic Four” role, either. Malkovich did tell GQ, however, that he ended up enjoying his experience making the upcoming film more than he expected. “It’s not that dissimilar to doing theater,” he revealed. “You imagine a bunch of stuff that is not there and do your little play.”
“The Fantastic Four: First Steps” hits theaters on July 25.
The post ‘Fantastic Four’ Star John Malkovich Says He Turned Down Marvel Offers Until They Paid Him More: ‘Didn’t Like the Deals They Made’ appeared first on TheWrap.