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(Image credit: Marvel Studios) With Silver Surfer debuting in the MCU in the upcoming The Fantastic Four: First Steps, actress Julia Garner recently teased the character's "ambiguous energy" and her alliance with the film's big bad Galactus. She also admitted to be "confused" at first by the gender swap. "I met up with Matt [Shakman, director], who's lovely. We met up at some restaurant in Burbank or something, I don't even remember, but I knew it was for the Fantastic Four. And then I was confused because I was like, 'Wait, isn't the Silver Surfer a man?' I was just like, 'Okay, well, I'll play anything'," she said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. "I was a very big fan of Matt's, so there was already, in my mind, like, 'I should probably meet with Matt Shakman because he's a very smart director and I love his work.' And then he was explaining to me that it's actually Shalla-Bal and that whole thing," she continued. You may like New Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer shows off Silver Surfer, Reed Richards stretching, and even more of Galactus New Fantastic Four footage confirms what we all suspected – Sue Storm is pregnant, and it means a major Marvel character is on the way We finally got an official look at the character a couple of weeks ago in a new Fantastic Four trailer, which featured Garner in all her silver glory. In the Marvel comics, Garner's Shalla-Bal is actually the love interest of scientist Norrin Radd, the original Silver Surfer. We'll have to wait to see the movie to find out how this different version came about. "I knew about some of the famous comic book characters, some of them I didn't know," Garner explained. "So when I got presented with this opportunity, I was like, 'Wait, what? Me?' Yeah, I was in disbelief, almost because it was so cool. I knew who the Silver Surfer was, and I got to know the Silver Surfer more when I signed on to the project. I really dived in. I read a lot of the Fantastic Four and Silver Surfer comics before starting the project, and I knew that this Fantastic Four was going to be told in a very different way than even the other movies." The Ozark star also offered some details about what we can expect of her character in the upcoming film, although most details are still under wraps. "It's going to be really interesting – I have to be so cryptic about everything, otherwise I'm going to have Marvel come after me," she joked. "But it was described as there's this mystery about her, and there's this sense of this ambiguous energy going on of whether she's good or not. She is the herald of Galactus, so she works for Galactus, but you're not sure where she stands. Does she stand with her boss, or is she just doing what she's told? She has this mysterious energy about her, and slowly that mystery will get solved with the audience throughout watching it." Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Garner said Silver Surfer is "different than anyone" she's ever played before, which was one of the reasons why she went for the role. It's also about reaching a bigger audience, as she explained: "I don't expect everybody to watch Ozark or [Inventing] Anna or The Assistant. Some people are only going to watch certain things, so that's why I want to branch out to every genre, and that's one of the reasons why I wanted to do Marvel – it's reaching a different kind of audience." The Fantastic Four: First Steps hits theaters July 25 to kick off Marvel Phase 6. In the meantime, read our guide to all the other upcoming superhero movies still to come from both Marvel and DC. See more Movies News Marvel Movies Action Movies Mireia Mullor Contributing Writer Mireia is a UK-based culture journalist and critic. She previously worked as Deputy Movies Editor at Digital Spy, and her work as a freelance writer has appeared in WeLoveCinema and Spanish magazines Fotogramas, Esquire, and Elle. She is also a published author, having written a book about Studio Ghibli's 'Kiki's Delivery Service' in 2023. Talking about anime and musicals is the best way to grab her attention. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. New Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer shows off Silver Surfer, Reed Richards stretching, and even more of Galactus New Fantastic Four footage confirms what we all suspected – Sue Storm is pregnant, and it means a major Marvel character is on the way The Fantastic Four: First Steps - The comic book history of Galactus, Marvel's weirdest, coolest cosmic villain Fantastic Four star Pedro Pascal recalls the "strange" way he got the Reed Richards role: "It changed the course of my life in a very sudden way" Fantastic Four: The First Steps director unveils the movie's retro-futuristic space suits and practical sets: "I really wanted it to feel like it was made in 1965, the way Stanley Kubrick would have made it" Fantastic Four director says they "built an entire costume" to make the massive villain Galactus work: "How do you film Mount Rushmore?" 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