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Julia Garner defends her role as Shalla-Bal in Fantastic Four, fans come to her defence and trash Marvel's CGI instead
Julia Garner’s casting as Shalla-Bal — the female Silver Surfer — has ignited online debate. But the actor isn’t backing down
This year has been a rollercoaster for superhero films. James Gunn officially took over the DC Universe and released a new Superman that’s been met with mixed reactions. Over at Marvel, fans are still riding high on the unexpected success of Thunderbolts*, a gritty anti-hero ensemble that’s been praised for bringing fresh energy to the genre. But now, all eyes are on Marvel’s Fantastic Four reboot—especially after the reveal that a woman is now playing the Silver Surfer.
Actor Julia Garner, best known for her roles in Ozark (2017) and The Wolf Man, is stepping into the role of the Silver Surfer. Some fans weren’t thrilled about the gender switch, questioning why a traditionally male character wasn’t being kept that way. But Garner? She’s unfazed. Speaking to the BBC at the London premiere of Fantastic Four, the 31-year-old actor addressed the backlash head-on: “I said, ‘I’m just going to still do my job,’” she said, choosing to focus on the work rather than the noise.
Garner also pointed out that her character is not a direct reimagining of Norrin Radd, the original Silver Surfer, but a different take altogether. “Also, it’s Shalla-Bal, so it’s different,” she added. For those unfamiliar with the comics, Shalla-Bal first appeared in The Silver Surfer #1 in 1968. She’s often portrayed as a female counterpart or love interest to Norrin Radd. This means that Garner’s casting isn’t a total rewrite, but rather a dive into a lesser-explored character from the source material.
Netizens react
Now, there were definitely a bunch of comments that trolled Garner's casting. “Is there reason the more iconic version was not used?” was one comment on X. Another said, “Poor herald choice to open the franchise with.” One more comment read, “No. She is a terrible character. They didn't wanna a male herald. Fine. Pick a good female one. They couldn't even do that.”
And since female characters taking on roles traditionally played by men are often met with resistance from cult audiences, it’s no surprise Garner feels defensive about hers. But after a thorough scroll on social media, it's noteworthy that many of the comments were quite supportive of Garner's role, even going so far as to research the origin of her character, Shalla-Bal. “Not gender swapped. It’s Noran Radd’s wife. Comic accurate,” said one. Another claimed, “Comic accurate so the only people who care are outing themselves as fake fans.” One more comment said, “People are unnecessarily upset about her casting. She is a great choice, and none of us has even watched the movie yet. Also, the Silver Surfer has a female version in the comics, and she is playing Shalla-Bal. Those who are complaining should take some time to read the comics before jumping to conclusions.”
Furthermore, many are claiming that the outrage is not about the gender-swap, it's about the CGI. “It's not about the Gender swap. It's the CGI,” claimed one comment on X. “Only issue I see is how awful the CGI is- I can’t believe that CGI seems to actually have gotten worse,” read another comment.
About the film
The upcoming film will mark Fantastic Four's official entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Set against a retro-futuristic 1960s backdrop, the movie will follow the group as they embark on some of their earliest missions. As for the cast, it's stacked with big names from the industry. Pedro Pascal stars as Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm (Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm (Human Torch), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm (The Thing). Ralph Ineson plays Galactus, with Paul Walter Hauser, Natasha Lyonne, and John Malkovich rounding out the ensemble. The movie is set to release on July 25.
