Believe it or not, the Marvel Cinematic Universe still has hundreds of characters to introduce to the big screen. After fifteen years and over 100 hours, Marvel’s catalog can comfortably pull another decade from its source material without slowing down. The Fantastic Four will introduce the franchise’s first family of superheroes, a long-awaited adaptation. While the film’s plot remains shrouded, Marvel recently announced Julia Garner as its Silver Surfer, Shalla-Ball.
Marvel has been in choppy waters for a year or two. Projects like Secret Invasion and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania pushed many viewers away from the franchise. Many consider Avengers: Endgame the appropriate ending, after which the MCU should have stopped. Superhero fatigue has guaranteed diminishing returns, but all hope is not lost. The Fantastic Four remains a potential high point that could dig Marvel out of its current slump.
Who is Shalla-Bal?
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Full Name |
Shalla-Bal |
|---|---|
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Aliases |
Silver Surfer, Keeper of the Great Truth |
|
First Appearance |
Silver Surfer #1 (May 1968) |
|
Created By |
Stan Lee and John Buscema |
Shalla-Bal was a citizen of the planet Zenn-La. Her lover/partner was Norrin Radd, a young scholar. Their relationship developed over the years after they met as children. When Galactus, the planet-eating cosmic deity, threatened to consume Zenn-La, Norrin sacrificed himself to protect his home. Galactus granted Norrin a portion of the Power Cosmic, transforming him into the Silver Surfer. Norrin became the herald of Galactus, leaving Shalla-Bal alone. Her life changed forever due to her lover’s decision. The Silver Surfer’s position and power placed Shalla-Bal in frequent danger from outside forces.
Shalla-Bal rejoins the story after the Silver Surfer betrayed Galactus. The planet-eater trapped Norrin Radd on Earth, then attacked Zenn-La. Instead of consuming the populace, he robbed Zenn-La of its ecosystem and all living things, then allowed the Zenn-Lavian people to occupy the dead husk. Simultaneously, the demon Mephisto set out to corrupt and steal the Silver Surfer’s pure soul. His best weapon against Norrin Radd was his anguish and loneliness after losing Shalla-Bal. Mephisto wiped Shalla-Bal’s mind, trapping her on Earth and arranging a false marriage to force the Silver Surfer to fight the Fantastic Four. Mister Fantastic uncovered the conspiracy and freed the Silver Surfer. He rushed to save Shalla-Bal, granting her a portion of his Power Cosmic before Mephisto could send her back to Zenn-La. Shalla-Bal brought life back to Zenn-La, becoming the planet’s immortal empress. She sadly rejected Norrin Radd’s later marriage proposal, citing the difficulties of her position. She’d go on to marry Fennan Radd, Norrin’s supposed half-brother, and die in the Great One’s pocket universe.
What could it mean for The Fantastic Four’s Villain?
Shalla-Bal’s story is short and uneventful. After she restores life to Zenn-La, most of her other depictions involve being kidnapped by villains and rescued by the Silver Surfer. However, in the alternate Earth-X continuity, Shalla-Bal becomes a Silver Surfer. She only took on the role in one comic, Earth X #12. In this iteration, Shalla-Bal and Norrin Radd share herald duties for the second Galactus, Franklin Richards. Mister Fantastic’s son became Galactus after Reed killed the planet-eater, offsetting the universal balance. Norrin Radd and Shalla-Bal become his heralds and fight the Celestials on Earth. Shalla-Bal dies in the battle, leaving Norrin Radd to mourn on Earth. Seeing the MCU try Franklin Richards before introducing Galactus would be shocking. In all likelihood, Shalla-Bal will replace Norrin Radd as Earth-616’s Silver Surfer. Future MCU outings will likely bring Norrin Radd into the franchise with a bit more pomp and ceremony.
Who will play the Silver Surfer in TheFantastic Four?
Julia Garner will portray Shalla-Bal in The Fantastic Four. Garner is a celebrated performer, with three Primetime Emmys and a Golden Globe to her name. She earned those awards for her work on Netflix’s Ozark, in which she portrayed Ruth Langmore. On the big screen, Garner delivered a stellar starring performance in Kitty Green’s 2019 film, The Assistant. Critics lavished her with well-deserved praise for the film. The Fantastic Four will be her first superhero movie, but her first comic book movie was Sin City: A Dame to Kill For. Garner is a fascinating choice for the role, and she could bring a lot to a lesser-known character.
Many fans are confused or incensed by Marvel’s choice to use Shalla-Bal instead of Norrin Radd in the first MCU appearance of the Silver Surfer. Ignoring the inevitable childish fits about “wokeness” that any woman in a superhero movie will certainly endure, some argue that adapting a virtually unknown character in the place of a fan favorite makes little sense. While Disney could have countless reasons for choosing Shalla-Bal, minor figures offer endless possibilities. Fans haven’t seen much of Shalla-Bal, especially not as the Silver Surfer. The Fantastic Four will introduce MCU viewers to Shalla-Bal, a new Silver Surfer.
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