The Big Picture
- Julia Garner is set to play Shalla-Bal marking the MCU debut of a lesser-known version of Silver Surfer.
- Shalla-Bal’s story is intertwined with Norrin Radd’s, the original Silver Surfer.
- Julia Garner is an exciting and bold casting choice in the MCU.
On Valentine’s Day, Marvel Studios coyly announced its cast for The Fantastic Four with some 1960s-inspired artwork. Depicting Marvel’s famous First Family having a joyful gathering, the promotional poster was accompanied by announcing who’d be playing who in the super-powered quartet. This week, the MCU welcomed its latest addition to The Fantastic Four‘s roster, with Julia Garner accepting the role of the Silver Surfer. However, this isn’t the Silver Surfer that likely first comes to mind, nor is it a case of gender-swapping for an established character.
Garner is set to play Shalla-Bal, as opposed to Norrin Radd, the most commonly known version of the Silver Surfer. Joining Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn), and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), Garner’s Shalla-Bal will mark the first live-action version of the character and the MCU debut of any take on the Silver Surfer. By now, you’re well accustomed to Mr. Fantastic, The Invisible Woman, The Human Torch, and The Thing. However, the Doug Jones/Laurence Fishburne portrayal of the Silver Surfer may be your only encounter with the character. So, who exactly is Shalla-Bal, and what Marvel Comics stories might she bring to the upcoming film?
Fantastic Four (2025)
One of Marvel’s most iconic families makes it back to the big screen, the Fantastic Four.
- Release Date
- July 25, 2025
- Director
- Matt Shakman
- Writers
- Josh Friedman , Jeff Kaplan , Stan Lee , Ian Springer
Who Is Shalla-Bal in Marvel Comics?
The original Silver Surfer, the one you’ve seen adapted in various animated shows and in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, was named Norrin Radd. In 1968’s Silver Surfer Vol. 1 #1, billed as “The Origin of the Silver Surfer,” Shalla-Bal made her Marvel Comics debut. On a planet called Zenn-La, the homeworld of the Zenn-Lavian race, a young Norrin Radd suffered the loss of his mother. It was Zenn-Lavian tradition for a mourning child to be paired with a lifelong companion. So, Norrin Radd was matched with Shalla-Bal. For a long time, Norrin resisted, but Shalla-Bal stood by his side, committed to the love she felt for him. It began as a budding young friendship, but they would reach adulthood before Norrin would accept his affection for Shalla-Bal. Throughout his adolescence, Norrin devoted himself to studying, hoping to be like his father. As lovers, Shalla-Bal and Norrin Radd were eventually separated, as part of the tragic events that led to Norrin becoming the Silver Surfer.
Shalla-Bal’s Silver Surfer Is the Keeper of the Great Truth
Shalla-Bal’s origins are wholly connected to those of Norrin Radd’s. Aside from her introduction as an arranged companion for Norrin, her eventual rise to royalty and acquisition of the Silver Surfer mantle come directly from the Silver Surfer comics. Norrin became the Silver Surfer when Zenn-La was on the verge of falling victim to Galactus, the planet eater. When the monumental cosmic entity came to peaceful Zenn-La, bent on consuming it and its energy, Norrin Radd saved his home by agreeing to become the Herald of Galactus. Imbuing him with the Power Cosmic, Galactus gave Norrin his iconic metallic form, the faster-than-light intergalactic surfboard, and a vast array of superpowers. In service of Galactus, the Silver Surfer would scour the cosmos in search of planets for the devourer to consume.
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In 1982’s Silver Surfer Vol. 2 #1, Norrin Radd, after spending years as the Herald of Galactus, betrays his villainous master, breaking free of his servitude with the help of The Fantastic Four. However, in an act of cruel retribution, Galactus returned to the Zenn-La that he once spared. Rather than consuming it, Galactus wreaked utter havoc, allowing some survivors to remain on the now barren planet. The Zenn-Lavian survivors blamed Norrin Radd, and to make things worse, he learned that his love, Shalla-Bal, was imprisoned on Earth by the evil Mephisto.
Norrin went to Earth to free Shalla-Bal, which he nearly achieved by defeating Mephisto, but Shalla-Bal was sent back to Zenn-La before his victory. Norrin raced to retrieve her, but Galactus had a barrier to stop him. So, in an act of quick-thinking, Norrin transferred some of his Power Cosmic to Shalla-Bal, turning her into a Silver Surfer for the first time in the extensive Marvel Multiverse. Using the Power Cosmic, Shalla-Bal brings life back to their decimated home planet, and the people crown her as Empress of Zenn-La.
Norrin Radd and Shalla-Bal Shared a Long-Lasting Love in the Comics
The love between Norrin Radd and Shalla-Bal is one of the great romantic gems of the Marvel universe, up there with the likes of Vision and the Scarlet Witch, Reed Richards and Sue Storm, and Peter Parker and Mary Jane. The Zenn-Lavians were essentially immortal, and the connection between them would last through multiple bouts of death and resurrection. In the 1993 Marvel Comics issue Silver Surfer/Warlock: Resurrection #1, we had the opportunity to witness Norrin Radd in arguably his most open display of vulnerability and humanity.
When Zenn-La was lost to a cosmic construct of pure thought known as The Great One, the venture to save it ultimately resulted in the death of Shalla-Bal. Norrin Radd mourned heavily. “The bitter truth is reflected within the waters of a stagnant pool,” the Silver Surfer uttered to himself. “I am truly alone. Shalla-Bal is dead.” In his solitude he fully professed his love. “The truth is I loved Shalla-Bal since we were children on Zenn-La. I believed with all my heart we’d grow old together. But in reality, our shared moments were few and precious. So unfair.” Of course, death is often temporary in Marvel Comics, but moments like this added a level of depth to the Silver Surfer we hadn’t yet seen.
Could the Original Silver Surfer Be in the MCU?
The simple answer is, well, of course! Norrin Radd could still make his MCU debut. Shalla-Bal isn’t the only Silver Surfer in the comics, and the same may be true for the live-action adaptations to come. The internet (and beyond) will surely be rife with discourse over Marvel Studios’ decision to go with a female version of the Silver Surfer. No matter where opinions may land, the simple reality is that Shalla-Bal is a completely separate character. Norrin Radd, the Silver Surfer audiences are more likely to be familiar with, could arrive further down the road, if not in The Fantastic Four’s first MCU outing. It’s highly probable, for that matter, as Shalla-Bal’s story from Marvel Comics comes largely intertwined with that of Norrin Radd.
It is, of course, possible for the MCU to give Shalla-Bal the backstory of Norrin Radd (or something similar). It’s not uncommon for live-action adaptations to merge multiple characters from the comics together or swap story arcs between them. That said, The Fantastic Four has been attempted on the big screen time after time, with reception ranging from lukewarm to downright scathing. If the MCU wants to set itself apart from prior iterations, the basic Herald of Galactus narrative wouldn’t be too groundbreaking.
Julia Garner Is the MCU’s Most Interesting Casting Choice in Years
Although the Silver Surfer has generally been portrayed in a rather ambiguous form, a sort of blank-slate being void of age or demeanor, the character tends to resemble the general age of Reed Richards, Sue Storm, and other more late-adult counterparts. So, right off the bat, Garner’s casting adds a tinge of intrigue to the direction the MCU may be taking with the Silver Surfer.
Taking into account the comic backstory of the characters, we may be getting a version of Shalla-Bal at a young age, when the love between her and Norrin was first forming, and the former had yet to become the Herald of Galactus. If the MCU opts to skip the origin story of The Fantastic Four gaining their powers (which would be an easy move to make, with the blueprint of the Multiverse and converging timelines they’ve created), there would be plenty of room to dive deeper into the Silver Surfer’s rich backstory.
Still considerably early into her career, Julia Garner has already proven her range and talent beyond a doubt. Whether it’s capturing pure innocence in Waco, transforming herself entirely for Inventing Anna, or effortlessly stealing every scene of Ozark, Garner’s skills will be a bright addition to The Fantastic Four and, if we’re lucky, the wider MCU to come.
The Fantastic Four hits theaters on July 25, 2025.