Summary

LaKeith Stanfield hints that he was up for Silver Surfer role in MCU before Julia Garner was cast.
Many fans excited to see Julia Garner as the cosmic figure in
Fantastic Four
.
Rumors suggest
Fantastic Four
reboot will be set in an alternate universe in the 1960s.

Academy Award nominee and The Harder They Fall star LaKeith Stanfield has hinted that he too was up for the role of The Silver Surfer in the MCU before Ozark star Julia Garner was cast. The actor, who is also known for powerful performances in the likes of Sorry to Bother You and Judas and the Black Messiah, took to social media (in a now mysteriously deleted post) following the Fantastic Four casting news to say…

“Thought it was going to be me but ig.”

Stanfield’s response suggests that the studio was toying with which version of Galactus’ herald The Silver Surfer to use in the Fantastic Four reboot, the male Norrin Radd or the female Shalla-Bal. Evidently, they landed on the latter.

@lakeithstanfield3

Fans of Stanfield have since responded to the actor’s post with one saying, “You don’t need the MCU! You’re to good for them she’s to good for them top, but I guess the paycheck was just to strong.” Another adds “NEED YOU AS SILVER SURFER,” while other fans would like to see him as a different Marvel character, “I need to see you as dr doom.”

Related The 10 Best LaKeith Stanfield Performances, Ranked If there’s anything we know about LaKeith Stanfield, it’s certainly not what his next move is going to be. Here are his best performances, ranked.

Since the revelation that Julia Garner will join the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the cosmic figure known as The Silver Surfer in Fantastic Four, fans too have taken to social media to share their thoughts. Many are excited to see Garner, who has received critical acclaim and three Primetime Emmy Awards for her performance in the Netflix crime series Ozark, take on the role.

Many Have Been Quick to Point out the Existence of a Female Silver Surfer in the Comics

Many of the reactions, though, have been in response to bringing a female Silver Surfer into the fray. For those unaware, there is precedent for this in the pages of Marvel Comics, with many taking issue with (and poking fun at) those claiming that the franchise has gone “woke.”

The casting of Garner has also potentially added weight to the ongoing rumors that Fantastic Four will be set in an alternate universe. These rumors claim that the reboot will be set in the 1960s and will largely take place in a different world somewhere in the MCU multiverse, with the titular team being dragged into the main MCU at the end of the movie.

Marvel Studios finally announced the cast of the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot back in February, revealing that the movie will be led by Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, aka Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, aka Invisible Woman, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm, aka The Thing, and Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, aka Human Torch.

Directed by
WandaVision’s
Matt Shakman,
The Fantastic Four
is scheduled to be released in the United States on July 25, 2025, as part of Phase Six of the MCU.