Fantastic Four trailer sparks debate over Julia Garner’s Silver Surfer & “better” 2007 version
Marvel/20th Century StudiosJulia Garner’s Silver Surfer has finally been unveiled in the new trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps – but fans can’t decide if it’s better than the 2007 version of the character.
It’s been a long time coming for the Fantastic Four; six years since Disney bought Fox and all of its superheroes, including Deadpool and the X-Men, to be exact.
This summer, the MCU will introduce its own version of the space-faring quartet, played by Pedro Pascal (Reed Richards), Vanessa Kirby (Sue Storm), Joseph Quinn (Johnny Storm), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben Grimm/The Thing). Ralph Ineson will also star as Galactus, while John Malkovich’s mysterious role still hasn’t been confirmed.
However, one of its most anticipated (and divisive) characters is Shalla-Bal, aka the Silver Surfer, portrayed by Garner.
New Fantastic Four trailer unveils Julia Garner’s Silver Surfer
In the new trailer, Garner’s Silver Surfer arrives to warn the Fantastic Four that their world (or at least, their version of Earth) has “been marked for death.”
Presumably, this will be at the hands of Galactus, for whom she serves as herald. In the comics, it’s her partner Norrin Radd who takes on the Silver Surfer mantle and travels the universe finding new worlds for the planet-chomping villain to consume. She does appear as the Silver Surfer… in a single panel of one issue, Earth X #12.
Debates about gender-swapping the character aside, the first appearance of the Surfer in the MCU has sparked another argument: is the CGI as good as 2007’s Rise of the Silver Surfer?
“The CGI is lame in comparison with the original Silver Surfer from 2007, and the eyes and mouth look out of place, they should be fully metallic and she should be way more shiny,” one user argued, and another asked: “Why does the actual Silver Surfer from 2007 Fantastic Four look better than Julia Garner’s Silver Surfer (Shalla-Bal) in 2025?”
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“Damn, you really start to appreciate how good the CGI was for Silver Surfer in 2007,” a third tweeted.
“Am I crazy for thinking that the CGI for Silver Surfer from the 2007 movie looks better? They do still have a few months so maybe they’ll fix it up but either way I do love her design,” a fourth wrote.
On the other hand, one fan posted: “I’ve seen enough, our first look at the Silver Surfer being her surfing on a storm cloud is the coolest thing ever.”
“This trailer sold me even more, the vibe of this version of NY, the costumes! The powers! And the Silver Surfer looks phenomenal!! Can’t wait to watch,” a second wrote.
Garner still hasn’t given anything away about her version of the character. “With the Silver Surfer, there’s still something very mysterious about it,” she told Who What Wear.
“That mystery is very important to me as an actor. It’s such an iconic character, and it felt very different for me. I’ve never played a character like that.”
Until Fantastic Four hits cinemas on July 25, 2025, check out our list of the best MCU movies, the best superhero movies of all time, and how to watch the Marvel Cinematic Universe in order.
