Summary
Julia Garner got candid about her role inThe Fantastic Four: First Steps. She admitted that she was surprised by her character because she thought Silver Surfer was a man.
The Fantastic Four: First Stepsis the third movie from Marvel Studios this year. In February, fans witnessed Anthony Mackie taking Chris Evans' role inCaptain America: Brave New World. Next week, Marvel will dropThunderbolts*. In July, the newestFantastic Fourreboot will hit theaters and it will feature a female Silver Surfer, portrayed by Garner. TheOzarkactress opened up about her role in theMarvel Cinematic Universe(MCU) and shared her initial reaction.
Garner sat down for an interview with Entertainment Weekly and discussed playing the live-action Shalla-Bal. According to her, it was “so different” from her previous roles, which made her want to do it. Additionally, she wanted to try different genres, and Marvel reaches different kinds of audiences, making the Marvel Cinematic Universe appealing to the actress. When asked about her casting and how she prepared for it, Garner said she had a basic understanding of some comic characters from both Marvel and DC comics. She was aware that they were very different and she knew about the Silver Surfer. When she met up with director Matt Shakman at a restaurant, she knew it was for theFantastic Fourbut got confused when she learned she was cast as the Silver Surfer. She told EW:
I was confused because I was like, ‘Wait, isn’t the Silver Surfer a man?’ I was just like, ‘Okay, well, I’ll play anything.’
Despite her confusion, Garner has always found Shakman a “smart director” and she is a fan of his works. During their meeting, Shakman explained to her that she was to play Shalla-Bal. She admitted that she wasn’t aware of the character or that there was another form of the Silver Surfer. However, she teased that “the best part of the comics” is reportedly “the same when you watch the movies.“Shalla-Balis the Empress of the utopian planet, Zenn-La and Norrin Radd’s lover. Norrin is the original Silver Surfer. He volunteers to be Galactus' herald to spare Zenn-La. Although Shalla-Bal doesn’t take on the mantle in Earth-616, she takes on the Silver Surfer role in alternate universes. In Earth-9997, depicted in theEarth Xseries, Shalla-Bal becomes a herald of Galactus alongside Norrin.
The female Silver Surfer received mixed reactions from Marvel fans when the official trailer was released. Many were disappointed andaccused Marvel of being “woke” by gender-swapping the character. However, unknown to many, there’s already a female Silver Surfer in Marvel Comics. Also, Garner’s version of the Silver Surfer is not random; it has been in the comics, but many are not aware of Shalla-Bal. Garner, herself, admitted that she was aware of the Silver Surfer. However, just like most fans, her knowledge was limited. She thought that there was only one Silver Surfer and he was a male. It’s good thatThe Fantastic Four: First Stepshas featured the female Silver Surfer because this is new knowledge to many. There are still a lot of things that only comic enthusiasts are aware of. Many comic characters only become popular when they make their big screen debut. Additionally, this makes sense because theMCUhas been exploring the multiverse.
The Fantastic Four: First Stepswill hit theaters on July 02, 2025.
