Fantastic Four: First Steps press release has removed one major cast member, leaving fans to wonder if the character has been cut

A new Fantastic Four press release has seemingly removed one cast member, leaving us wondering whether they've been cut from the finished version.

Accompanying the final Fantastic Four trailer is a plot synopsis on The Walt Disney Company website, as well as a run-through of the cast. Scroll down a little and you'll see mention of "the action adventure also stars Paul Walter Hauser, Natasha Lyonne, and Sarah Niles."

Notice the missing name? John Malkovich, previously listed as part of First Steps' cast, is conspicuous by his absence.

Now, it could be a simple oversight by the marketing team, but the fact that his character (rumored to be classic villain Red Ghost) hasn't been spotted in any trailers since the first Fantastic Four teaser back in February means there's a chance Malkovich may have been left on the cutting room floor. This wouldn't even be the first time Marvel has cut a character this year, with WWE Superstar Seth Rollins' villainous role in Captain America: Brave New World falling by the wayside after reshoots.

Having said that, Malkovich remains in Marvel's official Fantastic Four landing page – so the plot thickens.

We'll have to wait until Fantastic Four's release on July 25 to find out for sure.

Starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn as Marvel's First Family, the Marvel Phase 6 opener also stars Ralph Ineson as the towering Galactus and Julia Garner as the Silver Surfer.

For more, check out the upcoming Marvel movies currently in production, including Avengers: Doomsday. Then dive into the Marvel timeline.