Highlights
- Julia Garner joins The Fantastic Four cast as Shalla-Bal, the female Silver Surfer.
- Fan artwork envisions Garner’s portrayal of Silver Surfer.
- Marvel Studios likely chose a female Silver Surfer to differentiate the upcoming film from past adaptations, similar to past character changes in adaptations.
The Fantastic Four MCU cast recently added Julia Garner as a female Silver Surfer. In response, one Marvel fan created artwork that imagines what Garner will look like as the iconic character.
The Fantastic Four cast added Garner as Shalla-Bal, a character initially depicted in the comics as the immortal Empress of Zenn-La and the lover of the original Silver Surfer, Norrin Radd. When Galactus arrives to consume Zenn-La, Radd offers to become Galactus’ herald in exchange for the villain sparring the planet. Galactus accepts the offer and bestows Radd with a portion of his Power Cosmic, granting the latter new abilities and his famous silver appearance but separating him from Shalla-Bal for ages.
In alternate realities depicted in the comics, Shalla-Bal becomes the second Silver Surfer after being granted the same abilities as Radd by the new Galactus, Franklin Richards. While The Fantastic Four plot details are being kept under wraps, it appears Marvel Studios is using this version of the Silver Surfer for Garner’s portrayal. Because fans still don’t know what Garner’s Silver Surfer will look like, artist clements.ink created two images inspired by comic book artist Paolo Rivera. The first depicts Garner’s Silver Surfer with the recognizable silver skin and bald head. The second is a split image with the same design and Garner’s face, demonstrating how The Fantastic Four could incorporate the actress’s facial features into a classic Silver Surver design, perhaps not unlike how the MCU’s Hulk shares Mark Ruffalo’s likeness.
While the fan artwork will likely impress many fans, unfortunately, some still complain about the decision to include a female Silver Surfer in Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four instead of the original Norrin Radd version. Of course, including the Shalla-Bal Silver Surfer does not mean Norrin Radd can’t appear in the MCU. As previously outlined, Shalla-Bal shares a history with Norrin Radd that could be adapted for her backstory in MCU, potentially setting up Radd’s MCU debut even if he doesn’t appear in The Fantastic Four. Furthermore, The Fantastic Four is rumored to be set in an alternate universe, meaning Radd could still be the Silver Surfer in the MCU proper.
Regardless, Garner’s role in Ozark and several other projects prove she’s a talented actress whom the MCU is lucky to have. Considering Norrin Radd has been depicted in several television projects and the 2007 film Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Marvel Studios is likely using a female Silver Surfer to differentiate The Fantastic Four from past adaptations. The company took a similar approach with Tom Holland’s Spider-Man trilogy by deliberately avoiding using many of the same characters seen in Sam Raimi’s trilogy and mostly refraining from showing him swinging through New York City.
It remains to be seen if The Fantastic Four will find similar success. However, after multiple failed feature film adaptations, fans are eager to see Marvel Studios finally handle the beloved superhero team themselves.
The Fantastic Four is scheduled to be released in theaters on July 25, 2025.
Source: clements.ink
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