Fantastic Four General News & Discussion Thread (TAG SPOILERS)

[Shinobi Shaw]

I haven’t seen Garner in much, but I know she’s got serious chops. I’m kinda hoping Norrin got banished to the main MCU and Shalla took up the mantle in hopes she could find him. Could set up a cool, multiversal love story as a spin-off.

That’s baseless speculation on my part of course. She might just be the only SS. I’m cool with that too.

That's a good idea.

 

[Joe Von Zombie]

"I don't know **** about ****, Reed Richards."

 

[Zarex]

I guess I'm in the group that doesn't care it's not Norin lol.


This isn't gendering bending a character though, they are basically saying what if Shalla-Bal became the Silver Surfer instead of Norrin. Plus there is some prescidence in the comics for it (in the Earth X comics).

Except it's not gender swapping. If Garner was playing Norrin Radd then it would be but she's playing Shalla-Bal, who did become a Surfer in the comics at one point. There's no reason to believe they won't introduce the classic Norrin Radd Surfer eventually and they can co-exist. For all we know they could be planning on giving Norrin his own movie.

A female Silver Surfer is absolutely gender swapping what has traditionally been a male character, regardless of whether the Zenn-Lavian is named Norrin Radd, Shalla-Bal or Chaka Khan. Teasing your audience that they were eventually get the characters they actually want to see is a bad idea. It’s like telling fans that neck snappin’ Superman has TOTALLY got it out of his system and will be the Big Blue Boy Scout in the next film. Or that Ben will definitely get slacks in the Fan4stik sequel. The FF MCU reboot is on shaky enough ground without making decisions that, on the surface, look foolish.

 

[Detective Conan]

Am I the only one who thinks it’s a little too early for Galactus?

 

[Cap2024]

Am I the only one who thinks it’s a little too early for Galactus?

It definitely is. I don’t foresee Galactus until the third film. Doom the second.

Someone else will be the villain in the first.

If Galactus is shown it will be as minor as Thanos in the first Avengers film.

 

[Shinobi Shaw]

It definitely is. I don’t foresee Galactus until the third film. Doom the second.

Someone else will be the villain in the first.

If Galactus is shown it will be as minor as Thanos in the first Avengers film.

Yeah Galactus feels like a third film villain. For the first go round I probably would’ve went with Annihilus.

 

[Chris B]

Am I the only one who thinks it’s a little too early for Galactus?

He wouldn't be my choice but I think they could pull it off. I'm not sure that he necessarily needs that much build up. Lee and Kirby were able to do it in just three issues back in that day.

 

[Crimz]

A long-time rumour is that Norrin is getting a Disney plus show. Don’t know if that’s still the plan, but this casting could be a part of that. It’s not like the Silver Surfer has a big supporting cast.

 

[Cap2024]

He wouldn't be my choice but I think they could pull it off. I'm not sure that he necessarily needs that much build up. Lee and Kirby were able to do it in just three issues back in that day.

The issue is less set up and more stakes.

With Galactus first, there would be little opportunity of rising the stakes any higher.

The second film would have Doom. But, it would be hard pressed to find another who can out match either of them.

It’s like using all of one’s cards at once. Great first go around, but it impedes what comes after for the third.

This is why, as said, it’s unlikely he’ll be anything more than Thanos was in the first Avengers films.

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

I haven’t seen Garner in much, but I know she’s got serious chops. I’m kinda hoping Norrin got banished to the main MCU and Shalla took up the mantle in hopes she could find him. Could set up a cool, multiversal love story as a spin-off.

That’s baseless speculation on my part of course. She might just be the only SS. I’m cool with that too.

That would be interesting.

 

[Crimz]

 

[Spider-Fan]

All the info we have ever had is Galactus is the main villain. So I am operating under that assumption

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

A long-time rumour is that Norrin is getting a Disney plus show. Don’t know if that’s still the plan, but this casting could be a part of that. It’s not like the Silver Surfer has a big supporting cast.

That’s an interesting point.

The story may be partly true in terms of who she was cast as but wrong regarding her actually being the Surfer.

I’m not violently opposed to the whole idea, but it seems like a random and unnecessary change, if true.

 

[Venom 1988]

A female Silver Surfer is absolutely gender swapping what has traditionally been a male character, regardless of whether the Zenn-Lavian is named Norrin Radd, Shalla-Bal or Chaka Khan. Teasing your audience that they were eventually get the characters they actually want to see is a bad idea. It’s like telling fans that neck snappin’ Superman has TOTALLY got it out of his system and will be the Big Blue Boy Scout in the next film. Or that Ben will definitely get slacks in the Fan4stik sequel. The FF MCU reboot is on shaky enough ground without making decisions that, on the surface, look foolish.

It's not and it's definitely doesn't compare to your other examples. This is the equivlant of having Robin in a Batman movie but instead of the usual suspects, it's Stephanie Brown. You may not like it and that's totally fine, but it's not some foolish genderbent decision made to spit in fan's faces.

 

[Crimz]

The issue is less set up and more stakes.

With Galactus first, there would be little opportunity of rising the stakes any higher.

The second film would have Doom. But, it would be hard pressed to find another who can out match either of them.

It’s like using all of one’s cards at once. Great first go around, but it impedes what comes after for the third.

This is why, as said, it’s unlikely he’ll be anything more than Thanos was in the first Avengers films.

Or he wins. That’s one way to keep his threat and when this FF are incorporated into the main universe he is still a looming threat to return later.

That way for the next film they can lower the stakes but have that fear always present in the background.

 

[Crimz]

That’s an interesting point.

The story may be partly true in terms of who she was cast as but wrong regarding her actually being the Surfer.

I’m not violently opposed to the whole idea, but it seems like a random and unnecessary change, if true.

She is likely still the Silver Surfer, but her connection to Norrin might end being a plot point for exploitation later.
Like neither knowing that Galactus took both of them or something like that. It might be set-up for the future having it not being Norrin this time.

 

[Spider-Fan]

I dont know what the plan will be for Galactus after this. Considering this alternate universe stuff, I have no opinion on how all this is going to come together. It can be anything at this point. I am just going to wait and see the puzzle before I react at this point. I think it's premature to talk about Galactus being saved for a 3rd movie or anything like that.

 

[Chris B]

The issue is less set up and more stakes.

With Galactus first, there would be little opportunity of rising the stakes any higher.

The second film would have Doom. But, it would be hard pressed to find another who can out match either of them.

It’s like using all of one’s cards at once. Great first go around, but it impedes what comes after for the third.

This is why, as said, it’s unlikely he’ll be anything more than Thanos was in the first Avengers films.

There is Annihilus. He's definitely in the same league as Galactus and Doom and you could adapt Annihilation Wave with him.

 

[Venom 1988]

It definitely is. I don’t foresee Galactus until the third film. Doom the second.

Someone else will be the villain in the first.

If Galactus is shown it will be as minor as Thanos in the first Avengers film.

The guy tweeting this works at Deadline, so it's probably true. And like others mentioned, the rumors/reports about Galactus being the villain has been going on for this for over a year now.

There is Annihilus. He's definitely in the same league as Galactus and Doom and you could adapt Annihilation Wave with him.

Would love to see an Annihlation adaptation.

 

[Crimz]

There is Annihilus. He's definitely in the same league as Galactus and Doom and you could adapt Annihilation Wave with him.

He even used Galactus as a battery, that right there is an escalation in threat.

 

[Scarlet Spider]

Saving anything for future films is foolish. This is the second F4 reboot. It's a damaged IP. There is no guarantee they'll be more films, if this one flops. They need to hit the ground running.

 

[TheFuture]

My understanding of the leaks to date is that while yes this is an alternate universe, these characters will be folded into the main MCU universe by the end of the film, so there is no real version to come so to speak. Julia is your Silver Surfer in the MCU, and will have the relationship with FF/Galactus that we're invested in. Not Norrin Radd.

I've been on board for all the casting and leaks so far, but this is the first bit of news that has me uncertain now. I could understand the need for a change up if Norrin Radd has been overused in live action, but this isn't the case. It feels like someone has taken this movie to the roulette table and gone all in, I hope they've gotten it right because they really need to.

 

[zeptron]

It definitely is. I don’t foresee Galactus until the third film. Doom the second.

Someone else will be the villain in the first.

If Galactus is shown it will be as minor as Thanos in the first Avengers film.

Yeah, I'm hoping that Mole Man will be the villain. It would make sense seeing as how he's the first villain the F4 ever faced.

 

[Cap2024]

My understanding of the leaks to date is that while yes this is an alternate universe, these characters will be folded into the main MCU universe by the end of the film, so there is no real version to come so to speak. Julia is your Silver Surfer in the MCU, and will have the relationship with FF/Galactus that we're invested in. Not Norrin Radd.

I've been on board for all the casting and leaks so far, but this is the first bit of news that has me uncertain now. I could understand the need for a change up if Norrin Radd has been overused in live action, but this isn't the case. It feels like someone has taken this movie to the roulette table and gone all in, I hope they've gotten it right because they really need to.

Even if they were to merge - that would likely just mean that in the new world Shalla-Bal and Norrin Radd both are Silver Surfers. They're entirely different people and lovers, thus one replacing the other wouldn't make sense.

It's like if the DC Universe merged and Hawk Girl replaced Hawk Man rather than there still being two of them.

If Norrin Radd and Shalla-Bal were the same person (like female Loki) that would be one thing, but they're lovers and two separate people. Thus, at most - it would be lovers reuniting if she crosses over with the F4.

 

[misjuevos]

Well if this is indeed Shalla-bal then that is an interesting twist. So instead of Norrin Radd, she joins Galactus. They could've created a new Herald for the movie, if they really wanted to change things up. The possibilities of heralds and their powers are vast. Galactus can make any kind of herald. He just takes someone and bestows the power cosmic to them.

Any word on the plot direction? They going Kirby, Hickman, or something else?