Julia Garner's Shalla-Bal to play the Silver Surfer in 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps'

‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ has caused a storm on the internet with the trailer release that shows them embarking on a dangerous journey into space. Well, the most anticipated character, the Silver Surfer, comes into the picture, but with a ground-breaking twist. The traditionally male-oriented role will be played by Julia Garner, who is reimagined as Shalla-Bal.

In the comic books, the Silver Surfer was played by the character Norrin Radd, the hero from the utopian planet Zenn-la, who sacrifices himself to save his world from Galactus. While Shalla-bal is an existing character in the cinematic universe, she would take the centre stage as the Silver Surfer. To save Zenn-la, Garner’s character, Shalla-Bal, would transform herself into the iconic character, according to IGN.
In the trailer, Garner states, “Your planet (Earth) has been marked for death," but has taken the internet into the realm of wild speculations. The cast of ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ includes Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm, and more.
The film marks the debut of the Fantastic Four series in Marvel Studios, as it was previously owned by 20th Century Fox and was later acquired by Disney. The other superheroes from the cinematic universe are not involved - yet, as the universe of Fantastic Four belongs in a retro-futuristic version of 1960s Manhattan, where only they are the superheroes.

The official synopsis of the movie states, “The Fantastic Four must defend Earth from a ravenous space god named Galactus and his mysterious Herald, the Silver Surfer,” as they contemplate their personal life.
The film is set to release on July 25, 2025, which will be followed by the most anticipated film, ‘Avengers: Doomsday,’ and ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ in 2027.