John Malkovich Claims Marvel Offered Lowball Deal: ‘Pay Me’
- John Malkovich has turned down Marvel roles in the past due to insufficient pay, but will debut in the MCU this summer in The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Legendary actor of stage and screen John Malkovich expects to be paid accordingly for the type of work he signs on to do.
According to the actor in a conversation with GQ , he's turned down roles from Marvel in the past because the pay was not sufficient enough. He will debut in the MCU this summer in the Matt Shaman-directed The Fantastic Four: First Steps , but it didn't have to be his very first Marvel role.
"The reason I didn't do them had nothing to do with any artistic considerations whatsoever," the actor said. "I didn't like the deals they made, at all. These films are grueling to make… If you're going to hang from a crane in front of a green screen for six months, pay me."
Related: 'Fantastic Four' Trailer Reveals Classic Marvel Villain's Surprising Comeback
Malkovich went on to say there are other things he'd rather be doing with his craft if the paycheck wasn't up to snuff.
"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," he told the publication.
When it comes to finally accepting a role with Marvel, Malkovich said he wanted the chance to create with director Matt Shaman again after the pair worked on the 2014 film Cut Bank .
He even went so far as to compare his new, mysterious role to his theater work as "you imagine a bunch of stuff that isn't there and do your little play."
