John Malkovich says he turned down Marvel movies before “Fantastic Four” because the pay was too low

John Malkovich knows his worth and isn't afraid to say it aloud.

The Con Air and Being John Malkovich star, who will soon be seen in a mystery role in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, recently revealed that his entrance into the Marvel Cinematic Universe could have been very different, if he didn't turn down prior offers to star in the blockbuster franchise due to what he considered inadequate pay.

"The reason I didn't do [Marvel movies] had nothing to do with any artistic considerations whatsoever," Malkovich told GQ, referencing those who have disparaged the cinematic merits of superhero films. "I didn't like the deals they made, at all."

Related: The Fantastic Four: First Steps cast: All about the stars leading the franchise’s foray into the MCU (and who John Malkovich might be playing)

Malkovich explained, "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."

A representative for Marvel didn't immediately respond to Entertainment Weekly's request for comment on Malkovich's remarks.

Malkovich added that his primary motivation for appearing in First Steps was a desire to work with director Matt Shakman again, after their 2014 thriller Cut Bank.

As for the experience of filming a Fantastic Four movie, Malkovich said it was "not that dissimilar to doing theater." He noted, "You imagine a bunch of stuff that isn't there and do your little play."

While Malkovich's Fantastic Four role has yet to be revealed, he does make a brief bearded appearance in the teaser trailer that dropped earlier this month. Fans of the comics have been quick to connect that glimpse of him to Ivan Kragoff, a character that first cropped up in 1963 and also goes by the moniker Red Ghost. A former Soviet scientist, the Red Ghost has an interest in space travel and replicated the space accident that gave the Fantastic Four their powers, thus gaining the ability to turn intangible.

Want more movie news? Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free newsletter to get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more.

Hitting theaters July 25, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is set in a retro-futuristic version of the 1960s during the space race. Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach star as the titular quartet, heroes who must defend the Earth against Galactus (Ralph Ineson), a ravenous space god who's hungry to devour the entire planet with the help of his herald, the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). The stacked cast also includes Paul Walter Hauser, Natasha Lyonne, and Sarah Niles.

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly