- Silver Surfer will be female in the upcoming Fantastic Four movie, as showcased in the official trailers.
- Several Marvel fans wonder exactly why the MCU decided to change the gender of the character.
- However, instead of simply changing the gender, the MCU shifted the narrative and picked up the female version of Silver Surfer from an alternate reality.
Marvel’s first family, ie. The Fantastic Four is all set to make their MCU debut on July 25, 2025, on the big screens globally. Previously, we have seen several versions of Fantastic Four with different characters coming alive from Marvel comics. However, this time, a comic character is also given a chance to enter the world of the MCU, but not as fans would have thought. Yes, you guessed it right; we are talking about the Silver Surfer, who was originally intended to be male, but the trailer hints otherwise.
Why Is the Silver Surfer Reimagined as a Female Character in Fantastic Four: The First Steps?
This isn’t the first time Marvel has played the gender-swapping game in MCU projects. However, the Silver Surfer, being a female, has garnered more attention comparatively. So, for the unacquainted, this time, Marvel has played it differently; instead of gender swapping, they have changed the origins of the Silver Surfer entirely in The Fantastic Four First Steps.
In the traditional narrative, Norrin Radd represents the title. Hailing from Earth 616, Norrin Radd makes a sacrifice and becomes a servant of Galactus for the sake of his home planet and his love, Shalla Bal. Now, this Shalla Bal was never linked to the powerful title, but a variant of her from an alternate reality called Earth X is given a Silver Surfer makeover by Galactus. So, this version of Shalla Bal will be seen taking the mantle of the Silver Surfer in the upcoming film, with Julia Garner portraying the character.
Since the Silver Surfer appearing in Fantastic Four First Steps is Shalla Bal, a female, instead of Norrin Radd, we will see the Silver Surfer as a woman in the movie.
Who Is Shalla Bal in Marvel Comics?
Shalla Bal was the lover of Norrin Radd, who became the herald of Galactus to protect her and their home planet from the planet-eating cosmic entity. After Galactus separated the Surfer from Shalla Bal, Mephisto abducted her and made her live the life of a Latverian citizen named Helena. That’s because he wanted to take revenge on Surfer, which was only possible if he used Shalla Bel as a puppet against him.
However, after finding Shalla Bal, the Silver Surfer bestowed her with half of his powers so that she could take care of her and her people from every threat. However, due to the responsibility on their shoulders, Surfer and Shalla Bal end their romance. Shalla is later held hostage by Enslavers and also by the Great One of the planet Zen-La. However, she eventually reunited with the Silver Surfer, who helped her to escape captivity. Later, she accepted the romantic proposal of Fennan Radd, a man who claimed to be Norrin Radd’s half-brother.
