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  1. Entertainment
  2. Movies
  3. Action Movies
  4. Marvel Movies
  5. Fantastic Four: First Steps

Release the Shakman Cut? Fantastic Four director shoots down hopes of a director's cut because of the amount of "unfinished" VFX in deleted scenes

News
By Bradley Russell
Published 28 July 2025

No more steps for the Fantastic Four

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Ebon Moss-Bachrach as The Thing and Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm in The Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer
(Image credit: Disney/Marvel Studios)
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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.

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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%.

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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.

TOPICS
Marvel Studios Disney
Bradley Russell
Bradley Russell
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Senior Entertainment Writer

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.

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