The villain in the new Fantastic Four has been found. Ozark alum Julia Garner has been cast as Silver Surfer. Per The Hollywood Reporter, Garner, 30, will play a different version of the classic character.

(Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

WandaVision director Matt Shakman is directing the upcoming film. As we reported, the Fantastic Four cast includes Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing.

The film has a release date of July 25, 2025, and is rumored to take place in the 1960s. This is the era in which writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby first introduced the Fantastic Four, the super team that launched the Marvel Universe in comics. With Garner cast as Shalla-Bal, it is further believed to take place in an alternate universe within the MCU.

The Silver Surfer was introduced in Fantastic Four No. 48 as the herald of Galactus, a planet-eating entity, though that version of the Surfer was an alien astronomer known as Norrin Radd. Garner is said to be playing a different surfer known as Shalla-Bal, who was the lover of Norrin Radd.

Reacting to Garner’s casting announcement on X (formerly Twitter), fans of the comics/film had mixed feelings. One person defending the casting choice wrote, “Love all the female Silver Surfer fans that are popping up out of nowhere using the one image on her wiki. Nobody tell them the character only appeared in 4 comics. They might strain something.” Another fan defending Julia’s casting decision wrote, “There’s a female silver surfer in the comics literally this post has her. People will call this woke and not know the source material.”

Those against her being cast as Silver Surfer had this to say, “all had one job and great opportunity for a great movie.” Another said: “Woke MCU strikes again.” A third stated: “This movie gonna be trash.” One person said: “If silver surfer isn’t male. I don’t want it.”

Leading up to the film, Marvel has given free access to 5 comics to prepare for Marvel Unlimited subscribers:
Fantastic Four #1 (1961)
Fantastic Four #48 – 50 (First appearance of Galactus & Silver Surfer)
Fantastic Four: Life Story #1 (2021)