When Marvel Studios announced that Emmy-winning actor Julia Garner had joined the cast of ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘, fans were intrigued. However, some, unfortunately and unsurprisingly, were quick to judge.
Initially misunderstood as a “gender-swapped” version of the Silver Surfer, Garner’s casting sparked a wave of online debate. Now, the first trailer for the movie has wowed fans worldwide, the narrative has changed.
Julia Garner Is Happy That Fans Have Come Around Her Silver Surfer Casting
Julia Garner, best known for her role in ‘Ozark’, was caught off guard by the initial reaction to her casting in the MCU. When news broke last April, many fans assumed she would be playing a female reimagining of Norrin Radd, the original Silver Surfer. Social media was quick to erupt, with debates around “forced diversity” and gender-swapping in comic book adaptations.
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However, it turns out that Marvel never intended to change Silver Surfer’s gender as Garner is playing Shalla-Bal, a well-established character from Marvel Comics who has her own cosmic identity. First appearing in The Silver Surfer #1 in 1968, Shalla-Bal was not only a powerful figure in her own right, but also the Empress of Zenn-La. She was also the former lover of Norrin Radd.
In a recent interview with the BBC at the UK premiere of ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’, Garner reflected on the backlash. “I’m just going to still do my job,” she said calmly. “And also it’s Shalla-Bal, so it’s different,” she shared that she, too, was initially puzzled by the casting. “I was confused because I was like, ‘Wait, isn’t the Silver Surfer a man?’” she told Entertainment Weekly.
“Then director Matt Shakman was explaining to me that it’s actually Shalla-Bal and that whole thing.” After clarifying the role, she dove headfirst into preparation. And the fan base has come around. “I was just happy that people are resonating with it,” Garner said. “I’m grateful to be at this dance, to be completely honest with you.”
Galactus’s Demand Signal Fantastic Four’s Darkest Test Yet In ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’
With the MCU expanding into more cosmic territory, ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ doesn’t just reintroduce Marvel’s First Family, it brings Galactus into the fold. A new clip titled “Are We Safe?” has sent chills down fans’ spines. In it, the true stakes of the film are unveiled: Galactus isn’t after Earth’s resources or power; he wants Reed and Sue’s son, Franklin Richards.
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At a press conference, Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards struggles to answer a reporter’s question about how they “defeated” Galactus. His teammate Ben Grimm/The Thing, portrayed by Ebon Moss-Bachrach, bluntly admits, “We didn’t.” Reed then adds, “We attempted to negotiate, but Galactus asked too high a price.” The chilling reveal follows: “He asked for our child.”
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Pascal described Galactus as a threat unlike anything Reed Richards has ever faced. “It is definitely a scale of threat that Reed has never experienced.” Garner’s Shalla-Bal, the herald of Galactus, is expected to be a morally complex figure. Unlike the original Silver Surfer, who ultimately turned against his master to protect Earth, it remains unclear where Shalla-Bal’s loyalties will lie.
