Atlanta actor LaKeith Stanfield has reacted to reports that Julia Garner has been cast as the new Silver Surfer in Marvel’s The Fantastic Four, implying to his followers that he was in the running for the iconic role.
Stanfield had been a popular fancast for the upcoming MCU movie, though news broke yesterday that Ozark actress Garner had been chosen to portray Shalla-Bal — a lesser-known version of the Silver Surfer character.
Shortly after the news was published, Stanfield posted his thoughts to social media, seemingly confirming that he had been in the running for the role.
LaKeith Stanfield reacts to new Silver Surfer casting on Instagram
Stanfield reacted to the news that Garner had been cast on Stanfield in a now-deleted post on Instagram, posting an image of Garner alongside the caption: “Thought it was going to be me but ig.”
Marvel announced its core cast for The Fantastic Four back in February, confirming that Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach had been signed up to form the superhero troupe. A day after this announcement, it was reported that Marvel Studios was also meeting with actors to portray the Silver Surfer.
Stanfield, best known for his work in Donald Glover’s FX series Atlanta and 2018’s Sorry to Bother You, wasn’t confirmed to be in the running for the role. However, the actor’s comments on Instagram imply that he was one of the actors that Marvel Studios had met with to discuss the part.
If Stanfield’s comments are correct, this implies that Marvel Studios wasn’t always planning to feature Shalla-Bal in The Fantastic Four, and that the Norrin Radd version of the Silver Surfer character may have been considered. Radd is the original and most recognizable take on the comic book hero, with him having previously appeared on-screen in 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Surfer.
However, the hiring of Emmy award-winning actress Garner will mark Shalla-Bal’s movie debut, introducing a new Silver Surfer to the MCU. It remains to be seen how the character will fit into The Fantastic Four — and if Norrin Rad may still be involved, given the character’s deep history with Shalla-Bal — but fans will have to wait until the movie’s July 25, 2025 release date to find out.
