Marvel fans are reacting to the surprising announcement that Ozark’s Julia Garner has been cast as a female Silver Surfer in Marvel’s Fantastic Four. The Emmy award-winning actress has reportedly been cast as Shalla-Bal, a character who first appeared in Silver Surfer #1.
While Shalla-Bal is a familiar name to many Marvel fans, she’s not as recognizable as Norrin Radd, the most notable version of the Silver Surfer character who previously appeared on-screen in 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. As a result, the reception to the announcement has been mixed.
What have fans said about Julia Garner as female Silver Surfer Shalla-Bal?
Given that Shalla-Bal is a relative unknown compared to Norrin Radd, opinions surrounding the casting have been both positive and negative. However, many have erroneously complained that Garner has been cast as a female version of the Silver Surfer character when Shalla-Bal’s own Marvel history is over three decades long.
The character first made her appearance in 1968, only two years after Norrin Radd’s debut in 1966’s The Fantastic Four #48. Shalla-Bal was portrayed as Radd’s first love, though as the Empress of the planet Zenn-La, she also has more than her fair share of responsibilities outside of being the Silver Surfer’s love interest.
Given there have been some who have had a frosty reception to Garner’s casting, others have pointed out that those with a lack of knowledge of Shalla-Bal also don’t know much about Silver Surfer’s history:
Others have also pointed out the implications this casting has for The Fantastic Four, including that the story is shaping up to be a “time-spanning film.” Given that the artwork Marvel released alongside the announcement of the movie implied it’d be set in the 1960s, there’s certainly potential that it could span multiple decades.
There has also been some discussion that Shalla-Bal’s introduction into the MCU doesn’t mean that Norrin Radd won’t also appear. Given that the two characters are closely intertwined, Radd could also debut in the movie — potentially in its inevitable post-credits sequence.
Radd’s inclusion could also explain why Marvel Studios seemingly auditioned male actors for the role. Atlanta actor LaKeith Stanfield implied that he was in the running for the Silver Surfer, which, if true, indicates that Marvel has at least considered adding Radd to the movie.
Outside of the theories surrounding how Shalla-Bal will fit into The Fantastic RFour, many are also excited about Julia Garner’s performance as the character. Garner won her third Emmy for her performance in the hit series Ozark back in 2023, so many fans are eager to see what she brings to the MCU.
The Fantastic Four is set to release on July 25, 2025.
