Marvel May Bring A Gender-Flipped Silver Surfer To The MCU (Report)
A new report suggests Marvel Studios will introduce a gender-swapped Silver Surfer.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to expand despite various woes plaguing it. Their latest batch of projects, like "The Marvels" or "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," have failed to reach the same heights as their predecessors, but the franchise is continuing to chug along, hoping to introduce a number of notable comic fan-favorites in the future. While fan morale may be low, all eyes are on the MCU's upcoming Fantastic Four project. Though it remains to be seen how that film works out, a new report suggests that one of the team's most iconic villains may debut in a unique way.
Veteran reporter Jeff Sneider, who has worked with outlets such as Variety and The Wrap in the past, appeared on "The Hot Mic" podcast with John Rocha on November 9 to suggest that the MCU is looking to have a female actor play the Silver Surfer. "Galactus is going to be part of the Fantastic Four," he teased. "The idea is that one of his four heralds is going to be female — I have heard that the Silver Surfer is going to be female." In director Tim Story's 2007 flick, "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer," Doug Jones portrayed the tragic villain, and Laurence Fishburne provided the voice.
As exciting as this new piece of information might be for Fantastic Four and Marvel fans, this report should be taken with a grain of salt, seeing as the main quartet hasn't even been cast. As of this writing, there are little to no plot details for the Fantastic Four reboot, which is still in the pre-production process.
What we know about the MCU's Fantastic Four
Originally, Spider-Man trilogy director Jon Watts was brought in to helm the upcoming Fantastic Four picture. However, the notable MCU creative left the project in 2022, deciding to take a break from superhero-centric films. Watts is being replaced by "WandaVision" creative Matt Shakman, who has also directed "Game of Thrones" episodes for HBO. We know that "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" writer Josh Friedman is co-writing the project with Cameron Squires, who also worked on "WandaVision."
A lack of plot details hasn't stopped fans from speculating, including who the villain will be. While Jeff Sneider suggests that Galactus is in the picture, the reporter doesn't confirm if the Silver Surfer will debut in that film or another MCU project. Knowing the property, it's possible the character could appear in a movie or TV show divorced from the Fantastic Four mythos. As for the Silver Surfer being female, it would be an interesting, though not uncommon, change for the franchise.
The MCU has previously gender-swapped certain characters. In the comic books, Tasksmaster is typically seen as someone who identifies as a male. In "Black Widow," the terrifying assassin was portrayed as a female by Olga Kurylenko. Then there's The Ancient One, usually seen as an older man of Asian descent. In "Doctor Strange," the character was (controversially) played by Tilda Swinton. The comics have also featured a female version of the Silver Surfer, called Juno, though it's unclear if this iteration of the villain will make the jump to the big screen.