The Fantastic Four: First Steps is set in an alternate reality, meaning the introduction of Marvel's First Family will play out in a retro-futuristic 1960s New York. Filmmaker Matt Shakman appears to be pulling ideas from multiple eras of comic book storytelling, including Earth X.
That was also set in a different timeline and revealed some interesting links between Franklin Richards and Galactus, which could come into play in the MCU. The story also featured a female Silver Surfer, Shalla-Bal, in place of Norrin Radd.
Some fans are unhappy with the MCU using Shalla-Bal, declaring the character "woke" despite her having a history on the page. The hope, however, is that the classic Norrin Radd version of the Silver Surfer will eventually make his debut on Earth-616.
Today, scooper Daniel Richtman brings word that, "There are plans for Silver Surfer [to] be in multiple projects after [The Fantastic Four: First Steps] including a solo film."
He doesn't specify which Variant of the character this would be or when and where we'll next see the Surfer. Avengers: Doomsday and/or Avengers: Secret Wars would be as good a place as any to put the character front and centre, and it's not outside the realm of possibility that a solo outing would feature both Shalla-Bal and Norrin Radd, given their space-faring romance in the comics.
This is just a rumour and one we'd recommend taking with a pinch of salt for now. While Marvel Studios is bound to have plans for the Silver Surfer beyond this movie, it's doubtful that a decision would be made on any sort of spin-off until the Fantastic Four return to our screens this July.
"I’m not so much looking at the other movies," Shakman previously said of how he's approaching The Fantastic Four: First Steps. "I'm looking at the comics themselves. I'm a huge comic book fan. I’ve been a big fan of the Fantastic Four since I was a kid."
"So going back to Kirby and Lee and Byrne and following all the way up to what's happening, certainly Hickman and Waid and Ryan North, what he's been doing," he continued. "I'm trying to figure out who these characters are to me and how to bring them to life in the best possible way, and that's really where I've started and how we've approached it."
What are your hopes for Silver Surfer in the MCU beyond The Fantastic Four: First Steps?
Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel Studios' The Fantastic Four: First Steps introduces Marvel’s First Family—Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) and Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) as they face their most daunting challenge yet.
Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). And if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal.
Director Matt Shakman worked with both Avatar: The Way of Water co-writer Josh Friedman and WandaVision's Cam Squires on The Fantastic Four: First Steps' screenplay, with Eric Pearson (Thunderbolts*) later coming on board for a final polish.
The movie is set to be released in theaters on July 25, 2025.