Fans Divided Over Julia Garner’s Female Silver Surfer in Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps

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Summary

  • Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer features a female Silver Surfer, sparking mixed fan reactions.
  • Some criticized the gender-swapped Silver Surfer character, but defenders point out diverse versions exist in Marvel’s multiverse, including the one they’re adapting.
  • Labeling projects as “woke” due to diversity choices is increasingly common but highly subjective.

As a passionate movie enthusiast, I recently got a glimpse of the latest offering from Marvel Entertainment titled “The Fantastic Four: First Steps“. In this trailer, we were introduced to an initial antagonist that sparked varied responses among the fanbase.

This year, one of the highly anticipated films from Marvel Studios is titled ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’, directed by Matt Shakman. The movie features Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing. Lately, the cast has been promoting the film, and on Thursday, Marvel Entertainment unveiled its first official trailer. Within minutes of its release, the almost three-minute clip gathered more than 3.6 million views. A detail that instantly caught fans’ attention was Julia Garner’s presence.

In the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe blockbuster The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Garner takes on the role of the Silver Surfer. The trailer revealed her character’s official debut, sparking excitement among viewers. However, some critics felt that the character was gender-swapped this time around, as the Silver Surfer is now a female character. This change has been met with mixed reactions, with some labeling it as “woke.” A GIF of Garner’s portrayal of the Silver Surfer from the trailer was shared on X (formerly Twitter) by Culture Crave. One user commented, “Wokeeeee,” reflecting a common sentiment among viewers who called the film “woke” due to the female Silver Surfer. Other fans simply wrote “Genderswap.” Some questioned why they chose to present a female Silver Surfer in this film, when the character was previously played by a male actor in other movies. Others felt that the decision diminished the character’s significance.

Nevertheless, some supported this decision, pointing out that Silver Surfer isn’t human, so its gender shouldn’t be a concern at all. Silver Surfer is a character who initially served as an enemy to The Fantastic Four but eventually became their ally. First appearing in 1966’s Fantastic Four #48, the character was originally Norrin Radd from planet Zenn-La. His role was to locate planets suitable for Galactus to consume. While the character is typically male, Marvel has also introduced gender-varied versions in different timelines or dimensions, such as Juno, the female Silver Surfer. However, the most widely known and recognized version remains the male Norrin.

It Doesn’t Make Sense To Claim The Fantastic Four: First Steps Is “Gender-Swapping” The Silver Surfer Because This Isn’t Norrin Radd

It’s understandable that some social media users are labeling a project as “woke” for switching a character’s gender, given how quickly people today use this term when something doesn’t conform to their expectations. For instance, many deemed Doctor Who as being “woke” after they cast a female actor to play the Doctor, with Jodie Whittaker portraying the Thirteenth Doctor in the science-fiction series. While her performance was widely praised by many, others questioned her casting due to the fact that all previous doctors were male. Similarly, some labeled Snow White as “woke” for casting a Latina actress to lead the classic Disney tale, where the main character is described as having “hair as black as ebony, lips as red as the rose, skin as white as snow.

First Step is “woke” for introducing a female Silver Surfer may not be accurate because Marvel movies have previously explored the multiverse and could have chosen this version of Silver Surfer from another universe for the film. Moreover, there already exists a female Silver Surfer in the Marvel Comics, so swapping genders isn’t accurate here. It seems likely that Norrin Radd, the original Silver Surfer, will appear in another MCU project at some point. Ultimately, opinions on this topic are divided, and everyone is free to interpret the decision as they wish.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps will hit theaters on July 25, 2025.

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2025-04-18 03:47