Why Julia Garner’s Silver Surfer Will Outshine the Previous One, With Solid Justification

Last week, it was announced that Julia Garner will portray MCU’s Silver Surfer. She’ll depict Shalla-Bal, known as Norrin’s love interest in the comics. However, in some versions, Shalla also serves as Galactus’s Herald, known as Sunglow.

Reactions to Julia Garner’s casting were mixed. Some in the community felt that changing Silver Surfer’s gender was disrespectful to the character’s legacy, as most associate the character with being male. Others believe that alternative versions of Silver Surfer, particularly female ones, deserve recognition.

Certainly, there are already calls to boycott the movie, but this isn’t the right approach. Regardless of your stance on the film, it’s important to watch it first, even if just to critique it later with an informed perspective. Speaking of Silver Surfer in live-action, we’ve previously seen him in ‘Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer,’ portrayed by Laurence Fishburne and Doug Jones. Fishburne voiced the character, while Doug Jones handled the appearance and motion capture.

The film itself received poor reviews, and one of its most criticized aspects was the portrayal of Silver Surfer. So, however, you see it, Julia Garner’s Surfer is poised to be an improvement over the previous rendition.

It’s not just about bad CGI; the 2007 Silver Surfer portrayal was lacking overall. He lacked humanity, his powers were vague, and the ending left audiences questioning why he didn’t defeat Galactus from the start if he had the power.

With Garner’s Shalla-Bal, there’s a chance to address these issues. CGI and motion capture technology have improved significantly since ‘Rise of the Silver Surfer,’ allowing the same actress to handle both the appearance and voice of the character, resulting in a more cohesive and visually appealing portrayal.

There’s a chance to add a unique twist to her powers without straying too far from the established canon, considering we’re already altering it significantly. Garner’s Silver Surfer can be made more relatable by giving her a distinct personality and goals, gradually revealing her redeeming qualities throughout the movie. It would be great to see a well-developed origin story and glimpses of her life before becoming Galactus’s Herald, allowing the audience to connect with her on a deeper level.

Why all the fuss? Well, considering the shortcomings of the previous Silver Surfer portrayal, I’m confident that Garner’s version will surpass it.

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