Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer Concept Art Fixes Galactus' Big-Screen Look
One of the most disappointing aspects of Marvel's 2007 "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" was Galactus' unusual appearance. While the Tim Story-directed film nailed the iconic look for the Silver Surfer, the Devourer of Worlds himself looked nothing like his comic book counterpart. Instead, Galactus was made into a cloud, making the cosmic threat less imposing than he's ever been. However, concept art shows fans almost got a much more comic-accurate version of the character.
When Galactus finally confronts Earth at the end of "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer," he appears as a cosmic-like hurricane without a singular physical form — with the outline of his comic appearance seen briefly during a fiery moment as an Easter egg to Marvel fans. According to VFX supervisor Eric Saindon (via FilmSketchr), the studio wanted something less showy as to not take away from the rest of the movie. However, concept art from 2007 reveals what Galactus could have been. Artist Daniel James Cox does a spectacular job depicting the larger-than-life villain calling to the Silver Surfer behind a curtain of cosmic amethyst.
20th Century Fox/Daniel James Cox
Ultimately, Cox's artwork shows how Galactus would easily fit in the film without distracting audiences. Still, 20th Century Fox opted to go in a wildly different direction for their live-action version of Galactus — which became memorable to fans for all the wrong reasons. However, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has a chance to finally do the colossal cosmic juggernaut justice.
Marvel has the chance to get Galactus right soon
Galactus is rumored to be one of the main villains in the MCU's upcoming "Fantastic Four" film, and rumors suggest Javier Bardem is being eyed for the role. With the recent announcement Julia Garner will play the Shalla-Bal Silver Surfer alongside a cast including Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm, it's possible the MCU is doing a remixed take on the classic Jack Kirby and Stan Lee story, "The Coming of Galactus" from the comics first seen in "Fantastic Four" #48-50.
If Galactus does show up in the Matt Shakman-directed "Fantastic Four," hopefully the character's towering appearance can finally be done justice. The MCU doesn't even need to adapt his look precisely as it appears on the page, as the previous iteration of the character in live-action from "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" set the bar incredibly low. So, clearing expectations shouldn't be a challenge. However, the closer Galactus looks like his comic counterpart in the film, the happier fans will likely be.