Julia Garner is officially entering the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and her fans are about to see her like never before. The 31-year-old actress, best known for roles in Ozark and Inventing Anna, is now playing Shalla-Bal, the female version of Silver Surfer, in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. And while she’s riding cosmic waves on screen, in real life, she wants nothing to do with the ocean.
In a chat with Entertainment Weekly, Julia opened up about how this role lets her tap into a totally new fanbase. “Some people are only going to watch certain things,” she said. “That’s why I wanted to branch out. Marvel reaches a different kind of audience.” For her, it’s not just about stacking high-profile roles, it’s about stretching into different genres and challenging herself.
Even though she wasn’t a comic book nerd growing up, Julia went all in. She read up on Fantastic Four and Silver Surfer comics to prepare for the role and discovered how different this character was from anything she’d done before. “She’s so different than anyone I’ve ever played,” Julia said. That uniqueness is exactly what pulled her in.
What’s wild is she’s playing a cosmic surfer while having a real fear of the ocean. “I am actually afraid of the ocean,” she confessed. “But I can act.” She didn’t try to become a surfer overnight. Instead, she got a crash course from a few friends and then combined those basics with comic book inspiration. Her version of Silver Surfer blends surfing moves with statue-like elegance, more superhero sculpture than beach boarder.
Julia wasn’t expecting the role to come her way at all. “When I got presented with this opportunity, I was like, ‘Wait, what? Me?’” she said. But that disbelief quickly turned into dedication. She studied the comics, soaked up the source material, and molded a version of Silver Surfer that feels fresh but still true to the original.
With co-stars like Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, and Joseph Quinn on board, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is shaping up to be one of the most buzzed-about Marvel releases in years. And Julia Garner? She’s proving she can shine just as bright in a blockbuster as she does in a gritty drama.
- Brittany Cartwright Reveals Why Jax Taylor Went to Rehab - April 26, 2025
- Danny Dyer Admits His Wife Was Right to Kick Him Out During His Wild Days - April 26, 2025
- Geri Halliwell Drops a Huge Hint About the Spice Girls’ Future - April 26, 2025
