Julia Garner is set to portray a unique Silver Surfer character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Known for her roles in shows like “Ozark” and “Wolf Man”, Garner will embody Shalla-Bal, the space-traveling herald of the cosmic entity Galactus (Ralph Ineson), in “The Fantastic Four: First Steps”. This story takes place on Earth-828, an alternate universe to the primary MCU. In this 1960s-inspired futuristic setting, it is Shalla-Bal, instead of Norrin Radd (who in the comics offers to serve Galactus as a herald to save Shalla-Bal and Zenn-La), who receives the silver skin, flying board, and cosmic powers to find energy-rich planets for Galactus’ consumption.
In response to ComicBook’s question about the existence of Norrin Radd in this universe, Garner acknowledged, “We did indeed have conversations on the topic. However, I can’t reveal too many details. But yes, we did discuss it.
It’s unclear if Shalla-Bal’s past is similar to Norrin Radd’s origin as presented in Silver Surfer #1 from 1968, where Norrin Radd left Zenn-La following his goodbye to Shalla-Bal, who eventually ascended to empress of her planet after it was destroyed by Galactus.
When portraying the sky-rider character in her upcoming role, Garner delved into comic books for insights, discovering that in an alternate reality known as Earth X, Shalla-Bal was depicted as a silver-skinned Surfer alongside Norrin Radd.
She noted that the source material and the script were equally important to her, referring to this kind of role as a “significant duty.
She explained, “The script is much like a bible for filming in a sense, but you still need to put in extra effort. That’s something you learn from others, but you ultimately have to discover and research it yourself. I found it fascinating to learn more about Shalla-Bal and delve deeper into that. My initial reaction was similar to everyone else’s – I wasn’t quite familiar with her. I thought, ‘Aren’t Silver Surfers usually male?’ But then I realized, ‘Oh, no, this is different. It’s not the Silver Surfer we know; it’s Shalla-Bal, a unique take on the character.’ So, understanding Shalla-Bal was crucial for me.
Regarding speculation about the Silver Surfer (Shalla-Bal) reappearing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Since the final scene of Thunderbolts hinted at the Fantastic Four’s spaceship entering the Sacred Timeline, Garner expressed hope by saying, “It’s wishful thinking, but I hope we’ll return to the MCU. A real encounter with [Ineson’s Galactus] would be exciting.
Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach feature in the upcoming movie titled “The Fantastic Four: First Steps“, set to hit theaters on July 25th.
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2025-07-21 05:11