Marvel’s Original Silver Surfer Actor Breaks Silence On Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Reimagining

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Doug Jones, who once portrayed the Silver Surfer, has commented on the new take on the character in ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’.

Before the Marvel Cinematic Universe began, actor Jones played Norrin Radd, also known as the Silver Surfer, in the 2007 film Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. Laurence Fishburne provided the character’s voice. However, the MCU’s 2025 film, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, reimagined the Silver Surfer as Shalla-Bal, a character played by Julia Garner.

In a recent interview with ComicBookMovie.com, Jones praised the Silver Surfer as portrayed in First Steps. He called Eva Garner’s performance “gorgeous” and admired her courage in taking on the role, especially considering Norrin Radd is the more famous Silver Surfer in the comics. You can read his full comments below.

I was really impressed with Julia Garner’s performance. I also enjoyed the unique take on the Silver Surfer, reimagined as Shalla-Bal, a character from the comics. There was some discussion among fans because most people are familiar with the male Silver Surfer, Norrin Radd, but Shalla-Bal did appear as a Silver Surfer in one issue of the comics, so there was a basis for the portrayal. I thought it took courage to take on that role, knowing some fans might question it, and she handled it beautifully with grace and confidence.

Both the 2007 and 2025 films feature a character who serves as Galactus’ Herald, sacrificing themselves to save their planet – a role filled by Shalla-Bal in First Steps and Norrin Radd in the later movie. The core story remains consistent between the two films, with both characters ultimately making a similar choice. However, Norrin Radd shares a stronger connection with Sue Storm (Jessica Alba) in the 2007 film, while Shalla-Bal has a closer bond with Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn) in the 2025 version.

Like the positive reaction to Jones’ feelings for Shalla-Bal, critics generally loved The Fantastic Four: First Steps. It earned an 86% “Certified Fresh” rating from critics and a 90% “Verified Hot” audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. This is a big improvement over Rise of the Silver Surfer, which only received 38% from critics and 51% from audiences. It also significantly outperforms the 2005 Fantastic Four film (28% critics, 45% audience) and the 2015 version (9% critics, 18% audience).

Title Rotten Tomatoes Critics’ Score Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score
Fantastic Four (2005) 28% 45%
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007) 38% 51%
Fantastic Four (2015) 9% 18%
The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) 86% 90%

While many are drawing comparisons to earlier films, Jones isn’t the only returning cast member excited about the new Fantastic Four movie. Ioan Gruffudd, who previously played Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic in the 2005 and 2007 films, recently shared his positive thoughts on First Steps, praising the characters as “alive and well and in safe hands.” He also called it “a superb homage to the original comics from the sixties,” and lauded the acting, production design, costumes, music, and visual effects as “out of this world!”

Beyond being a well-received film itself, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is crucial for setting up future Marvel Cinematic Universe storylines, particularly Avengers: Doomsday. The cast – Johnny, Sue (Vanessa Kirby), Reed (Pedro Pascal), and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) – will all appear in Doomsday, and Robert Downey Jr. will play the villain, Doctor Doom, the Fantastic Four’s famous enemy.

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2026-02-21 18:01