A Herald of darkness – and a 1960s setting
Marvel has dropped some major hints about the upcoming Fantastic Four movie villain, leading fans to believe it is all but confirmed. The studio has also teased some key story details that have fans buzzing with excitement. Marvel has all but confirmed that Galactus will be the primary villain of its forthcoming Fantastic Four movie. Today (April 4), the comic book giant ostensibly revealed that the planet-devouring deity would be the big bad of The Fantastic 4, which is set to launch in theaters in July 2025. Galactus’ positioning as The Fantastic 4’s villain-in-chief isn’t a complete surprise. Yesterday (April 3), Deadline reported that a gender-swapped version of The Silver Surfer – one of Galactus’ so-called Heralds (his servants, essentially) – will play a prominent role in the Marvel Phase 5 flick. Julia Garner, known for her role as Ruth Langmore in Netflix’s Ozark TV show, will portray the character. They’ll reportedly go by the name Shalla-Bal, an existing Marvel character with ties to the Silver Surfer in the comics.
Marvel will retool Shalla Bal as a multiversal iteration of Silver Surfer for the forthcoming movie. If this proves to be the case, it’ll be further proof that The Fantastic 4 is an MCU film that’s largely set in an alternate dimension – a storytelling device that fits into Marvel’s wider multiverse-centric plan for Phases 4 through 6. More evidence for this fan theory can be found in Marvel’s tease concerning the influence that Fantastic Four: Life Story will have on the movie’s plot. Indeed, #1 of this multi-comic story is set in the 1960s. Considering the iconic quartet has been conspicuous by their absence in the MCU so far – there’s been no mention of them up to this point in any Marvel project – it would make sense that they exist in another universe. Galactus arrives with the aim of consuming Earth to sustain his life force in the comics, so a portrayal of this storyline would align with Galactus being the central antagonist in the upcoming movie.
Marvel’s teaser of the influence of key Fantastic Four-starring comic book issues, such as Fantastic Four issues #48 to #50 where Galactus threatens Earth, further solidifies fans’ beliefs about Galactus being the primary villain. With production ramping up on The Fantastic 4 after intense speculation, fans eagerly anticipate more concrete details about this highly anticipated Marvel film. As Marvel unveils casting information, release dates, and insightful inspirations for the superhero movie, enthusiasts of the beloved superteam are certainly in for a treat.
It will be over a year before The Fantastic 4 hits theaters, but in the meantime, fans can enjoy watching the group’s other big-screen adventures on Disney Plus.
