In Marvel's series, the extraterrestrial empress Shalla-Bal is separated from her lover Norrin Radd, who becomes the first Silver Surfer in the service of the planet devourer Galactus. In Marvel's "The Fantastic Four: first steps" the empress Shalla-Bal herself has taken over the surfboard.
That the Silver Surfer has been transformed into a woman made some of the Marvel fans see red, despite it already being depicted in some of the series. But the negative reactions do not seem to have affected the actress Julia Garner who has said that she just continued "doing her job". In preparation for the role, it meant, among other things, learning to move like a surfer and putting her own stamp on the physicality of the character.
I wanted there to be an elegance, almost like a kind of dance, says Julia Garner.
Tragic story
According to Garner, the new film has retained the Silver Surfer's moral ambiguity.
It's a fairly tragic story in the story, but I think the ambiguity was very important to have for a character that you can't be 100 percent sure of, says Garner.
"The Fantastic Four: First steps” initiates phase six in Marvel's cinematic universe and takes place in a kind of retro-futuristic 60s. It is the superhero factory's third so-called "reboot" about the heroes Mr Fantastic, Invisible Woman, The Thing and Human Torch who must protect the earth from Galactus, a huge god who travels around the universe and devours planets.
”Galactus is not evil”
The actor Ralph Ineson takes on the role of the gigantic god and questions whether Galactus is a real villain, since he has no choice but to follow his nature.
Galactus is not evil. He is a cosmic force that devours planets to maintain order. He does not choose to do it but he is a great nuisance if you live on one of the planets he is going to devour, says Ineson.
He prepared for the role by daydreaming from Galactus' perspective, for example, every time he was in a high building.
Galactus is 14 billion years old. His relationship to humanity is that it is quite insignificant, so it was more about understanding the vastness, the power and the timelessness. And how tired he is after having been doing it for so long, says Ralph Ineson.
Kristoffer Viita/TT
Facts: ”The Fantastic Four: First steps”
TT
Plot: "Earth-828" is a parallel world to earth that has gotten stuck in a retro-futuristic 60s. The alternative earth gets a visit from the messenger Silver Surfer who explains that the planet eater Galactus is on his way. The superheroes Mr Fantastic, Invisible Woman, The Thing and Human Torch must try to stop the world's downfall.
Director: Matt Shakman
In the roles: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Joseph Quinn and others.
Playtime: 114 minutes
Premiere date: 23 July 2025
