Before Marvel Studios' Fantastic Four reboot - now officially titled The Fantastic Four: First Steps - entered production, there were persistent rumors that the movie would introduce a female take on the Silver Surfer alongside Marvel's First Family.
Sure enough, we'd soon find out that Ozark alum Julia Garner had been cast in the role - but she won't be playing a gender-switched take on Norrin Radd.
Garner will actually take on the role of Shalla-Bal, who was the Empress of the planet Zenn-La, and the first love of Norrin Radd. When Galactus came to devour their planet, Radd volunteered to become his herald in exchange for sparing Zenn-La. Later, when Franklin Richards took over as the new Galactus, he imbued Shalla with the same cosmic powers and allowed her to serve as a twin herald alongside Radd.
While chatting to ComicBook.com, Garner discussed her MCU debut for the first time, but wasn't willing to divulge any details about her space-faring character.
“I mean, just how big it is," Garner said when asked what surprised her most about prepping for the part. "It’s a big universe, and I feel so grateful I get to be a little part of it to be honest,” Garner told ComicBook. “Everybody on that job, I think the casting is phenomenal and they’re so wonderful. And [director] Matt Shakman is amazing. I’m very excited.”
Some fans aren't too happy about Shalla-Bal being introduced before the original Sentinel of the Spaceways, but we have heard that Garner's role will be a "one and done," possibly leaving the door open for Norrin Radd will appear down the line.
The first trailer for The Fantastic Four has yet to be officially released, but there are a few leaked versions from various events such as SDCC and D23 doing the rounds online.
Joining Garner will be Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us, The Mandalorian) as Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby (Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning) as Sue Storm, aka the Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things, A Quiet Place Day One) as Johnny Storm, aka The Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Punisher, The Bear) as Ben Grimm, aka the Thing.
Galactus has been confirmed as the main villain, and the Eater of Worlds will be played by Ralph Ineson (The Witch, Game of Thrones).
We're still not sure who Natasha Lyonne is playing (the voice of H.E.R.B.I.E. the robot of Ben Grimm's partner Alicia Masters are popular theories), but rumor has it that John Malkovich is playing one of the team's oldest villains, Ivan Kragoff, aka the Red Ghost. There's also speculation that Paul Walter Hauser has been cast as Mole Man, but this has yet to be confirmed.
Kevin Feige recently confirmed that the movie will take place in an alternate universe, but we know that Marvel's First Family will appear in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, so we wouldn't be surprised if they find their way into the main MCU timeline by the end of this movie.
Matt Shakman directs The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which is set to hit theaters on July 25, 2025.