In recent weeks, we've been besieged by Fantastic Four casting rumours. As things stand, Adam Driver is supposedly a lock for Mister Fantastic, while Margot Robbie has reportedly been offered the role of Invisible Woman.
Paul Mescal, meanwhile, may or may not be the Human Torch, while Antonio Banderas is said to be in the running to play Galactus. Oh, and Mila Kunis is...The Thing? We don't know what to believe at this stage, but one recent rumour claimed that Silver Surfer won't be part of the reboot. Instead, he'll appear in a Special Presentation and Galactus will have one or more different heralds in this movie.
Only time will tell whether that's true, of course, but if Norrin Radd is indeed being sidelined, then there are plenty of other exciting possibilities.
In this feature, we share our top choices for Galactus' most likely MCU herald/s, and you can check them out by clicking on the "Next" button below.
6. Fallen One
Very little is known about Galactus' first herald, but the being known as the Fallen One was imbued with the Power Cosmic long before Silver Surfer came along.
The character frequently clashed with his master, eventually turning on him before striking an uneasy alliance with Thanos. This is one of those characters who could appear in a flashback better explaining Galactus' place in the wider MCU, something the Fantastic Four reboot would be wise to establish if the world-eater is to be taken seriously as a credible threat.
As a precursor to Silver Surfer and with relatively little in the way of history on the page, the Fallen One is definitely a character Marvel Studios can reinvent and do something fun with.
5. Firelord
Pyreus Kril was an orphan who grew up on Xandar, the home of the Nova Corps. In the MCU, the planet was decimated by Thanos, so that could immediately explain why Galactus targeted his home and transformed him into his herald, Firelord.
The comic book version of the character struck a deal with the all-powerful villain that saw him become a herald but eventually wanted out and deduced a way to free others from that burden by gifting Galactus the Asgardian Destroyer armour. We wouldn't expect to see that play out here, but he'd make a great foe for the Human Torch to match powers with.
For the most part, though, Firelord is a character who would perhaps be best used as cannon fodder for Marvel's First Family.
4. Nova
No, not that Nova.
Frankie Raye was Johnny Storm's girlfriend and ended up receiving almost identical powers as him after being doused in the same chemicals which were used to create the original android Human Torch. Later, she volunteered to be Galactus' herald in order to explore the universe and when she met Silver Surfer, the two fell in love.
It would be a neat twist if Fantastic Four were to head down a similar route; Galactus making someone a member of the team cares about one of his servants would be an unexpected direction to take things in, going a long way in driving home just how evil he is. Frankie could then appear in that planned Silver Surfer project.
3. Morg the Executioner
Galactus isn't a villain the Fantastic Four can get physical with (unless Reed finds a way to shrink him down), so Reed, Sue, Ben, and Johnny are gonna need some bad guys they can actually punch. Enter, Morg the Executioner.
On his planet, Morg was a rebel who eventually turned against his people to save himself. When the Devourer of Worlds arrived at his home, Galactus was impressed by the brutal and remorseless executioner and offered him the chance to wield the Power Cosmic. He jumped at the chance and became as formidable as the Silver Surfer.
If we are getting multiple heralds, then Morg can be the muscle and someone we'll take great delight in seeing take a beating from The Thing!
2. Johnny Storm
Yes, the Human Torch himself was once enlisted by Galactus to serve as his Herald, though there was an unexpected twist.
This came at a time when Sue and Johnny had inadvertently swapped powers, prompting Galactus to force the former Human Torch to use his newfound abilities in an effort to expose planets that had made themselves invisible to him. With that in mind, perhaps it would be better for Sue to be kidnapped by the villain!
Either way, there's something interesting to be done here, particularly when it comes to how Johnny's time by his side ended. The hero used the Power Cosmic to attack Galactus, turning his former boss back into his original humanoid form!
1. Terrax the Tamer
Perhaps the most likely herald to appear in Fantastic Four, Terrax would make for a compelling supporting villain in this reboot.
Formerly an alien dictator called Tyros, Terrax has the power to bend the ground and rocks to his will, while he also wields an energy-absorbing Axe. The villain travels the cosmos at the head of a meteor shower, searching for worlds for Galactus to devour. This former dictator is evil to his core and has no qualms about finding worlds his master can destroy.
Needless to say, all of that adds up to a formidable foe who could test the mettle of Marvel's First Family before they find themselves being pitted against the world-eater himself.