Latest news with #ShallaBal
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Fantastic Four' Star Julia Garner Says She's ‘Gonna Still Do My Job' Amid Backlash to Silver Surfer Genderswap
Julia Garner doesn't care what people think about her playing Silver Surfer in 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps.' While speaking to BBC at the film's London premiere, Garner was asked about the initial response from some fans who thought a man should play the Silver Surfer. The 'Wolf Man' star said she didn't pay much mind to the discourse and focused on delivering her best version of the character. More from Variety Pedro Pascal Says 'I'm More Aware' of Backlash Over 'Fantastic Four' Casting 'Than Anything I've Ever Done': 'He's Too Old. He's Not Right. He Needs to Shave' 'The Fantastic Four' Director Matt Shakman Reveals the 'Magical' Comics That Inspired the Film in 'Small and Large Ways' (EXCLUSIVE) Anthony Boyle to Play Sam Bankman-Fried Opposite Julia Garner as Caroline Ellison in Netflix's FTX Series 'The Altruists' 'I said, 'I'm just going to still do my job,'' she said of the backlash. She also noted that she plays a variation on the character, adding, 'Also, it's Shalla-Bal, so it's different.' Shalla-Bal, first seen in 'The Silver Surfer' #1 in 1968, is the female counterpart to Norrin Radd, who was featured in 2007's 'Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.' In that film, the humanoid alien was played by Doug Jones and voiced by Laurence Fishburne. As the BBC notes, after the first 'Fantastic Four' trailer debuted, the response to Garner's Surfer was overwhelmingly positive. Garner said she was excited to see the hype from fans. 'I was just happy that people are resonating with it, just like any other project,' Garner added. 'I'm grateful to be at this dance, to be completely honest with you.' Other cast members include Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic; Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, aka the Invisible Woman; Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, aka the Human Torch; and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm, aka the Thing. Ralph Ineson plays Galactus, while Paul Walter Hauser, Natasha Lyonne and John Malkovich round out the cast. Best of Variety Final Emmy Predictions: Talk Series and Scripted Variety - New Blood Looks to Tackle Late Night Staples Oscars 2026: George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Roberts, Wagner Moura and More Among Early Contenders to Watch New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Fantastic Four' Star Julia Garner Says She's ‘Gonna Still Do My Job' Amid Backlash to Silver Surfer Genderswap
Julia Garner doesn't care what people think about her playing Silver Surfer in 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps.' While speaking to BBC at the film's London premiere, Garner was asked about the initial response from some fans who thought a man should play the Silver Surfer. The 'Wolf Man' star said she didn't pay much mind to the discourse and focused on delivering her best version of the character. More from Variety Pedro Pascal Says 'I'm More Aware' of Backlash Over 'Fantastic Four' Casting 'Than Anything I've Ever Done': 'He's Too Old. He's Not Right. He Needs to Shave' 'The Fantastic Four' Director Matt Shakman Reveals the 'Magical' Comics That Inspired the Film in 'Small and Large Ways' (EXCLUSIVE) Anthony Boyle to Play Sam Bankman-Fried Opposite Julia Garner as Caroline Ellison in Netflix's FTX Series 'The Altruists' 'I said, 'I'm just going to still do my job,'' she said of the backlash. She also noted that she plays a variation on the character, adding, 'Also, it's Shalla-Bal, so it's different.' Shalla-Bal, first seen in 'The Silver Surfer' #1 in 1968, is the female counterpart to Norrin Radd, who was featured in 2007's 'Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.' In that film, the humanoid alien was played by Doug Jones and voiced by Laurence Fishburne. As the BBC notes, after the first 'Fantastic Four' trailer debuted, the response to Garner's Surfer was overwhelmingly positive. Garner said she was excited to see the hype from fans. 'I was just happy that people are resonating with it, just like any other project,' Garner added. 'I'm grateful to be at this dance, to be completely honest with you.' Other cast members include Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic; Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, aka the Invisible Woman; Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, aka the Human Torch; and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm, aka the Thing. Ralph Ineson plays Galactus, while Paul Walter Hauser, Natasha Lyonne and John Malkovich round out the cast. Best of Variety Final Emmy Predictions: Talk Series and Scripted Variety - New Blood Looks to Tackle Late Night Staples Oscars 2026: George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Roberts, Wagner Moura and More Among Early Contenders to Watch New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week
Geek Tyrant
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Johnny Storm Flirts with Silver Surfer in New THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS Teaser — GeekTyrant
Marvel Studios released a new teaser for The Fantastic Four: First Steps , and it's as chaotic as it is cosmic. The clip centers on Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn), who once again lets his ego do the talking, this time with the Silver Surfer, played by Julia Garner. If you saw the earlier trailers, you might recall Johnny telling the team he didn't need backup to 'kill sexy aliens.' Well, he's sticking to that strategy. In this new footage, Johnny Storm in full Human Torch mode approaches the Silver Surfer mid-glide and awkwardly asks, 'Is your board attached to your body?' Garner's Surfer, who's playing the Shalla-Bal version of the character from the comics, doesn't look too impressed, and honestly, neither would Galactus, who she's working for. The casting of Garner stirred some waves when first announced, with a vocal chunk of the internet expecting a more traditional, male version of the Silver Surfer. But at the premiere of the film, Garner addressed it, saying: 'I said, 'I'm just going to still do my job. Also, it's Shalla-Bal, so it's different. I was just happy that people are resonating with it, just like any other project. I'm grateful to be at this dance, to be completely honest with you.' So far, the marketing for First Steps has leaned hard into the team dynamic, but moments like this tease a more fun and comedic edge, especially when Johnny's antics collide with the larger, more serious cosmic storylines. A flirtatious fireball trying to charm a chrome-plated herald of Galactus? That's exactly the kind of weird Marvel energy I'm excited about seeing.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Julia Garner addresses fan backlash to ‘gender-swapped' Fantastic Four casting
Julia Garner has responded to the initial backlash she faced for her casting in The Fantastic Four reboot. Last April, the 31-year-old Emmy-winning Ozark star joined the cast of Marvel Studios' new film, The Fantastic Four: First Steps. At first, it was believed that she would be taking on the role of a female version of the iconic Silver Surfer character who appeared in earlier comics. However, it was later confirmed that Garner will, in fact, be starring as Shalla-Bal, the immortal Empress of Zenn-La and lover of the Silver Surfer/Norrin Radd. Speaking to the BBC on Friday at the UK launch of the reboot, the Inventing Anna actor was asked about her reaction to the criticism she first received when it was assumed she was taking on a 'gender-swapped' Silver Surfer. 'I'm just going to still do my job,' she remembered thinking, 'and also it's Shalla-Bal so it's different.' Fan negativity didn't last long, however, as the first trailer, released in February, was widely well-received. 'I was just happy that people are resonating with it and just like any other project,' Garner added of the secondary praise. 'So I'm grateful to be at this dance, to be completely honest with you.' Garner previously spoke about her confusion when she was first approached for the role. '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 told Entertainment Weekly in April. 'Then [director Matt Shakman] was explaining to me that it's actually Shalla-Bal and that whole thing.' Shalla-Bal was originally introduced in Marvel Comics' The Silver Surfer #1 in August 1968. She has never appeared in a live-action movie until now. 'I knew who the Silver Surfer was, and I got to know the Silver Surfer more when I signed on to the project. I really dived in,' she added. 'I read a lot of the Fantastic Four and Silver Surfer comics before starting the project, and I knew that this Fantastic Four was going to be told in a very different way than even the other movies.' The Fantastic Four: First Steps stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, The Bear's Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman, and Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things) as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch. Out in theaters July 25, the movie arrives 20 years after the 2005 adaptation, which featured Ioan Gruffudd, Michael Chiklis, Jessica Alba, and Chris Evans as the leading quartet. It will represent the first time all four characters will join the interlinking Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Disney's Marvel Studios acquired the rights to The Fantastic Four back in 2019 when the company merged with Fox. The original Fantastic Four comic books follow a group of scientists who develop superhero qualities after they are exposed to a mysterious cosmic storm.
Geek Tyrant
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS Set Photos Reveal a Big Silver Surfer Surprise — GeekTyrant
Marvel fans are excited about The Fantastic Four finally stepping into the MCU, and while we wait to see how the story for The Fantastic Four: First Steps plays out, we have some interesting new set photos that might be a Major Spoiler involving Julia Garner's mysterious role as Shalla-Bal/Silver Surfer. Additional photography is currently underway in Los Angeles for The Fantastic Four: First Steps , and Garner was recently spotted filming a scene that might shed some cosmic light on her character's journey. In the photos, Garner is in human form wearing a flowing white dress adorned with a celestial blue pattern, Garner's Shalla-Bal stands by the shoreline before turning and spreading her arms dramatically. This scene, though open to interpretation, hints at a few possibilities. It could be a flashback showing the origin of her cosmic powers, or perhaps it's from the climax of the film, where Shalla-Bal is released from her role as a Herald of Galactus. Maybe they are shooting a post-credits scene. It will be interesting to see what this ends up being an how it fits into the story. During a recent interview, Garner spoke about how she physically prepared for the role of Silver Surfer, despite one very important fear. "No, I am actually afraid of the ocean. So no, but I can act. I have some friends that know how to surf, and they showed me some moves before I went out to London to just kind of get the body position of it all. And then I realized shortly after I was in London that I used some surf moves, but then I also used a lot of what I saw in the comic books." "There were different poses that, the way that they would draw them, they weren't surf poses — they almost looked like something you would see in sculptures. So I incorporated surfing with the poses of a sculpture, like moving elegantly, like a dance. So it was kind of a mixture of things, but a lot of it was from the comics that inspired me." You can check out the full batch o f The Fantastic Four: First Steps set images over at Mail Online, linked in the X post below.
