Julia Garner Addresses Criticism of Playing Female Silver Surfer in ‘Fantastic Four’: “It’s Shalla-Bal, So It’s Different”
Julia Garner is finally speaking out about the mixed reactions to her being cast as the Silver Surfer in Marvel’s upcoming The Fantastic Four: First Steps. After the announcement, fans online had very different opinions, some were excited about the fresh take, while others weren’t thrilled about the character being played by a woman.
In a recent interview, Garner responded to the backlash and explained how she felt when she first heard about the role.
“The first one, I was like, I’m just still going to do my job, and also it’s Shalla-Bal, so it’s different,” she said. “And then the second one, you know, 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.”
This wasn’t the first time Garner talked about the surprise she felt when she was first approached for the role. In an earlier interview with Entertainment Weekly, she said she wasn’t expecting to be considered for Silver Surfer at all, especially since most people know the character as a man.
“I met up with [director Matt Shakman], who’s lovely,” she said. “We met up at some restaurant in Burbank or something, I don’t even remember, but I knew it was for the Fantastic Four.”
At first, she didn’t understand how the role fit her.
“I was confused because I was like, ‘Wait, isn’t the Silver Surfer a man?’ I was just like, ‘Okay, well, I’ll play anything,’” she said, laughing.
But as it turns out, she’s not playing the same Silver Surfer from the 2007 Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer movie. That version was Norrin Radd, the one physically played by Doug Jones and voiced by Laurence Fishburne. In First Steps, Garner plays a completely different version named Shalla-Bal.
Shalla-Bal is from the comics and is the ruler of the planet Zenn-La. She was in love with Norrin Radd before he became the Silver Surfer and agreed to serve Galactus in exchange for saving their home. That deal separated the two lovers forever.
Garner said director Matt Shakman explained this whole backstory to her during their first meeting, which helped make everything clear.
“He was explaining to me that it’s actually Shalla-Bal and that whole thing,” she said.
As for what fans can expect from Shalla-Bal in the movie, Garner said the character will have a mysterious side.
“There’s this mystery about her, and there’s this sense of this ambiguous energy going on — of whether she’s good or not,” she said. “She is the herald of Galactus, so she works for Galactus, but you’re not sure where she stands. Does she stand with her boss, or is she just doing what she’s told? She has this mysterious energy about her, and slowly that mystery will get solved with the audience throughout watching it.”
When asked if she’d want to lead a solo Marvel movie as Shalla-Bal, Garner didn’t hold back.
“A hundred percent, I would love to do that,” she said.
She also said she’s excited about playing a character that still holds some mystery.
“The Silver Surfer is such a cool character, and I feel like it’s so rare to be presented with any sort of mystery in this day and age,” she said. “So any kind of energy like that on screen, I know I want to see that, so that would be awesome if that happened.”
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is part of Marvel’s next big phase, and it looks like Julia Garner is more than ready for the challenge, no matter what people say online.
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!
