Ozark actor Julia Garner has reportedly signed a deal to play Silver Surfer in Matt Shakman’s take on Marvel’s Fantastic Four.
For a long time, there were lots of questions about which four actors would be lined up to fill the iconic blue onesies worn by the Fantastic Four, Marvel’s family of superheroes due to make their MCU debut next summer. Matt Shakman, the mind behind Marvel Studios’ WandaVision is directing the project, which might just relaunch the MCU as ‘must watch’ moviegoing following two or three years where over-saturation and questionable levels of quality control have seen the films and TV shows dip in popularity.
Back in February that casting would be confirmed and much like the studio’s choice of director, there was a feeling of real promise regarding the actors that had been selected to embody one of Marvel’s most iconic set of characters. Just to remingd you, we have Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm.
Now we have more news on the casting front, with Deadline reporting that Julia Garner has signed up to play Silver Surfer, a recognisable name from the Fantastic Four’s catalogue of supporting characters. While it hasn’t yet been confirmed by Marvel, Garner is said to be playing the Shalla-Bal version of the character. Like many Marvel characters, there’s more than one version of the galactic wanderer, with the widely-known (and original) take on the character, Norrin Radd having already made his film debut in 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer.
That version of the character was voiced by Laurence Fishburne, whereas Marvel looks to have opted for a very different take on the character this time. In Garner, the studio has acquired a huge rising star given how impressively she’s built out her film slate since first picking up acclaim for her ongoing role on the Netflix series, Ozark.
In the years since Ozark, Garner has impressed in her two leading film roles, those being 2019’s The Assistant and more recently alongside Jessice Henwick in last year’s excellent thriller, The Royal Hotel. Even without the profile boost afforded by a Marvel movie, Garner’s profile is set to rise further in the next year or so given that she’ll be appearing in Apartment 7A, Natalie Erika James’ prequel to Rosemary’s Baby. She’s also signed up to appear in Leigh Whannell’s Wolf Man, although that one was recently delayed into next year.
The key piece of Fantastic Four casting that remains unconfirmed is the film’s villain – Deadline’s Justin Kroll also reports that it’ll be Galactus, but adds that no one has been cast in that role as yet.. Production on the movie is set to begin this summer ahead of release with a release slated for July of next year.
