First Steps’ Julia Garner Addresses Silver Surfer Genderswap

Julia Garner is surfing cosmic waves and heralding the arrival of Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds, in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Garner takes up the mantle of the beloved comic book character known as the Silver Surfer, who is appearing in the MCU for the first time on the big screen. However, there was an inexplicably negative reaction to the idea that Garner might be portraying a “genderswapped” version of Norrin Radd, a.k.a. the Silver Surfer, who first appeared in the pages of Fantastic Four No. 48 (1965). The actress didn’t pay the critics any attention, though, and Garner explained how she dealt with the backlash while appearing on the red carpet for First Steps’ London premiere by saying:

“I was like, ‘I’m just going to still do my job.’ And also, it’s Shalla-Bal, so it’s different […] I was just happy that people are resonating with it, just like any other project. So, I’m just grateful to be at this dance, to be completely honest with you.”

Garner’s version of the Silver Surfer didn’t appear in The Fantastic Four: First Steps teaser, which dropped in February. However, the character made a grand entrance in April’s official trailer, as she announced the arrival of Galactus, and tossed The Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) around like he didn’t have any superpowers at all. The negativity generated around the appearance of a female Silver Surfer replacing Norrin Radd came from those not familiar with the comic books, because Garner was clearly not playing a “genderswapped” version of Radd’s Surfer. Rather, the actress was portraying Shalla-Bal, a.k.a. the female Silver Surfer, right out of the Marvel Comics source material.

Shalla-Bal first appeared in the pages of The Silver Surfer No. 1 (1968), and she later became the Surfer during the Earth X alternate reality. So, there was never any “genderswapping” intended, nor the need for such pessimism. Although, to be fair to those who aren’t connoisseurs of the source material, only those reading the Marvel Comics likely knew anything about the female Surfer’s existence. In fact, Garner herself was only familiar with Norrin Radd, as she revealed in an interview with Entertainment Weekly while discussing the casting process. Garner said:

“I met up with Matt [Shakman – the director], who’s lovely. We met up at some restaurant in Burbank or something. I don’t even remember, but I knew it was for The Fantastic Four. And then I was confused because I was like, ‘Wait, isn’t the Silver Surfer a man?'”

Julia Garner Is Surfing a New Acting Wave in the MCU

Julia Garner confirmed she was playing the female Silver Surfer, Shalla-Bal, back in April. However, the comic book character was unlike anyone she’d ever portrayed before, but Garner’s remarkable acting chops have made it possible for the actress to tackle any role. After all, Garner is a three-time Primetime Emmy Award winner for her work on the must-watch series, Ozark, and she even collected a Golden Globe in 2023 for portraying one of the drama’s protagonists, Ruth Langmore. Despite the accolades, though, Garner took the Silver Surfer role to reach even bigger fan bases. Garner said in the same interview with EW:

“She’s so different than anyone I’ve ever played, and that was also another reason why I wanted to do it. I don’t expect everybody to watch Ozark or [Inventing] Anna or The Assistant. Some people are only going to watch certain things, so that’s why I want to branch out to every genre, and that’s one of the reasons why I wanted to do Marvel — it’s reaching a different kind of audience.”

It’s well known by comic book fans whether Garner’s Silver Surfer will likely be portrayed as a heroine as well as the minion of the Seeder of Worlds, a.k.a. Galactus, in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. However, Garner isn’t giving anything away about her conflicted character as she coyly explains her role in the MCU flick by saying:

“All I can say is that she works for Galactus and that she’s mysterious, and the character will unfold more towards the end of the movie. That’s all I can say. I know it’s a very Marvel tease, but also, it’s like a real tease. I haven’t seen the movie myself!”

Fans will finally get to witness Julia Garner’s badass Silver Surfer in action when The Fantastic Four: First Steps joins the 2025 summer movie season on July 25. The latest big-screen entry in the MCU is expected to rival Superman at the box office with a “heroic” opening-weekend forecast predicting a debut somewhere in the neighborhood of $120 million.

Sources: @bbcnewsuk (Instagram), Entertainment Weekly