Fantastic Four star John Malkovich reveals he's turned down Marvel before because of bad pay: "If you're going to hang from a crane in front of a green screen for six months, pay me"

The Fantastic Four: First Steps star John Malkovich has turned down Marvel movies before over pay deals.

Malkovich is playing a mystery role in the Marvel Phase 6 film, but we did catch a glimpse of him in the first trailer, looking pretty unkempt with long, gray hair.

"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," the actor told GQ. "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 Fantastic Four: First Steps stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, with Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm. The rest of the cast includes Ralph Ineson as Galactus and Julia Garner as the Silver Surfer.

The official synopsis for the movie teases a personal battle for Marvel's First Family. "Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner)," it reads. "And if Galactus' plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren't bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal."

The Fantastic Four: First Steps arrives this July 25. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows for everything else the MCU has in store.