"I'm—It's Shiny": Julia Garner Addresses Silver Surfer's Appearance In The MCU's Fantastic Four Movie And Whether The Marvel Character Will Be CGI Or Live-Action
Julia Garner has addressed her role as the Silver Surfer in Fantastic Four: First Steps and whether her MCU debut will be live-action or CGI-rendered. Garner is set to appear in Fantastic Four: First Steps as Shalla-Bal, a female iteration of the iconic Silver Surfer and love interest of Norrin Radd, the more commonly known Silver Surfer, in Marvel Comics. The specifics of Shalla-Bal's role in Fantastic Four: First Steps are still forthcoming beyond her being Galactus' herald, with not so much as a glimpse of Shalla-Bal emerging from the set of Fantastic Four: First Steps so far.
Absent any sneak peeks, Garner herself has described Shalla-Bal's costume while talking to ScreenRant about Wolf Man, stating "It's shiny." There is a reason why some might expect Garner's character to be rendered with practical effects, after all, as set photos seemingly reveal that they will be used for Ebon Moss-Bachrach's The Thing. Garner remains coy about the finer details of what can be expected of Shalla-Bal's appearance on-screen, however, suggesting that fans will have to "Wait and see." The full response can be seen below:
ScreenRant: The last time we saw Silver Surfer, it was all CGI. Can you tease are you CGI, live action, or a combination?
Julia Garner: You know. I'm—it's shiny. But all the Silver Surfers are shiny, so it doesn't give you anything. I'm sorry. So we'll wait and see. I'm excited.
What Julia Garner's Silver Surfer Comments Mean For Fantastic Four: First Steps
Julia Garner May Have Been Referring To A Physical Costume
Unfortunately, Julia Garner's comments don't reveal much beyond what fans may have already expected. Nevertheless, the "it" to which Garner is referring may well be a physical costume, which could fit the retrofuturistic aesthetic thus far revealed through promotional images and set photos. Short of any further information on Shalla-Bal's role in the movie, however, her appearance is a matter of pure speculation - though Garner comparing the appearance to "all silver surfers" also suggests that hers will be comic-accurate.
The most likely scenario, therefore, is that CGI will be at least partially involved in Garner's depiction of the Silver Surfer. It's hard to imagine believably rendering Shalla-Bal's metallic skin with a skin-tight suit alone. Furthermore, despite the practical effects seen in set photos for The Thing, Ebon Moss-Bachrach revealed in an interview with Variety that "so many amazing animators" have been working on Ben Grimm, which suggests that Marvel Studios might be opting for a combination when interpreting its more outlandish characters, or simply using practical stand-ins for filming.
Our Take On Julia Garner's Silver Surfer Comments
Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer Proved How Viable An Entirely CGI Costume Can Be
I think we can expect Garner's Silver Surfer to be rendered through CGI almost exclusively in Fantastic Four: First Steps. Her comment that "all the Silver Surfers are shiny" seems to forget that there has only ever been one live-action version of the Silver Surfer in 2007's Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, whose depiction was very heavy on the CGI. Not only do I think this is the only feasible method, but I'm confident that 2024's technology will only improve on 2007's depiction - which was pretty good to begin with.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
- Release Date
- July 25, 2025
- Runtime
- 115 minutes
- Director
- Matt Shakman
- Writers
- Jeff Kaplan, Josh Friedman, Ian Springer, Eric Pearson, Kat Wood, Jack Kirby, Stan Lee
- Producers
- Kevin Feige
Cast
Reed Richards / Mister Fantastic
Vanessa KirbySue Storm / Invisible Woman
The Fantastic 4: First Steps features Marvel's First Family navigating their dual roles as superheroes and family members in a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world. They defend Earth from a formidable space god, Galactus, and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer, testing their familial bonds and heroic resolve.
- Franchise(s)
- Marvel Cinematic Universe
- Studio(s)
- Marvel Studios
Upcoming MCU Movies
Source: Variety
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