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Credit: Marvel StudiosMarvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four (2025) has made headlines yet again with its latest casting announcement, one that some obnoxious Marvel fans may hate.
One of the most important teams in Marvel Comics, fans are excited for the Fantastic Four to make their way into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While two versions of the heroes have already come to movie theaters, starring the likes of Chris Evans, Jessica Alba, Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, and others, none of them met the standards for an MCU film.
Fortunately, that is about to change! The newest rendition, titled The Fantastic Four, stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing.
Now, they can add the Silver Surfer to the list! However, it will not be the version casual audiences are used to.
Julia Garner Cast as Female Silver Surfer in ‘Fantastic Four’
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The Silver Surfer is one of the most important and beloved characters in Marvel Comics. Named Norrin Radd, the Silver Surfer eventually allied with the Fantastic Four to defeat Galactus. He most memorably appeared in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), voiced by Laurence Fishburne and played by Doug Jones.
However, this isn’t the only version of the Silver Surfer. There are multiple different surfers throughout the cosmos, one of them being Shalla-Bal. The lover of Norrin Radd, Shalla-Bal realized that Galactus was necessary for the balance of the universe. She not only teamed with the Devourer of Worlds but the High Evolutionary as well.
Related: ‘The Fantastic Four’ Removed From MCU, Premise Rewritten for ‘Deadpool 3′
According to Deadline, the female version of the Silver Surfer is the one that will appear in The Fantastic Four, and she will be played by Julia Garner. She is most famous for her performance in Ozark, which earned her three Primetime Emmy Awards, and Inventing Anna, which earned her a Golden Globe.
While this is undoubtedly an exciting choice given Garner’s immense talent, many fans on social media are already bracing for an uproar from fans who are worried about Marvel going “woke” and changing popular characters, leading X user RJ to sarcastically comment, “I’m sure the internet is going to have a very normal reaction to this.”
I’m sure the internet is going to have a very normal reaction to this.
— RJ (@ResonantJustice) April 3, 2024
However, these vocal fans who are decrying “wokeism” and the “M-She-U” are missing multiple points. First of all, this isn’t changing anything about a fan-favorite hero; Shalla-Bal is an already existing character that is absolutely fascinating. On top of this, she has connections to multiple characters that already exist in the MCU, like the High Evolutionary and the Eternals.
More than anything, this is a chance for Marvel Studios to explore a character that is not nearly as well known as her male counterpart. This not only gives the creatives behind the team something that hasn’t really been done on film, but it also gives audiences a completely new experience. And with Julia Garner behind the role, it will be fantastic.
Who is your favorite female hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!