New promo art for Julia Garner as Shalla-Bal / Silver Surfer in Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps has been revealed by Marvel Legends. See the image below.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Garner says Shalla-Bal is a unique version of the Silver Surfer—one that is less known to general audiences. She shared that it was her first time working with motion-capture technology, describing it as a “crazy” and “surreal” experience. Garner noted how different it was from typical film sets, with wires and sensors replacing traditional makeup and wardrobe touch-ups.
Garner said, “This was my first time doing that technology, and it was crazy. It was such a surreal experience. It was wild. Normally, last looks would be hair and makeup, and then all of a sudden, it was just wires.”
Garner added, “I wasn’t super surprised, because Matt Shakman showed me a mockup of it. I just thought it was so cool. It kind of oddly looked like… well, I don’t want to say fashion-y, but you could totally see it on, I felt like, a runway — which is something I always notice the most. The costume has to be aesthetically pleasing to the eye, especially with Marvel. People love that. At the end of the day, it is a comic book. I’m excited to see it — I really haven’t seen anything besides the trailer and some mockup scenes, so it’s going to be interesting.”
Most recently, The Fantastic Four: First Steps held a test screening, and details have leaked online. The entire film focuses on the Fantastic Four grappling with the inevitability of their extinction. Ralph Ineson’s Galactus is considered the highlight of the movie — he has an incredible sense of scale and looks like he was pulled straight from the comics. Additionally, the post-credits scene is connected to Avengers: Doomsday.
Here’s the plot details for The Fantastic Four: First Steps:
Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps introduces Reed Richards / Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm / Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm / Human Torch (Joseph Quinn), and Ben Grimm / The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) as they face their most daunting challenge yet.
Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Garner). And if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet — and everyone on it — weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal.
The film also stars Paul Walter Hauser, John Malkovich, Natasha Lyonne, and Sarah Niles. Directed by Shakman, produced by Kevin Feige, and executive produced by Louis D’Esposito, Grant Curtis, and Tim Lewis.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps hits theaters and IMAX on July 25, 2025.
