Julia Garner Cast as Shalla-Bal in MCU’s Fantastic Four Reboot

Julia Garner Cast as Shalla-Bal in MCU’s Fantastic Four Reboot

According to a report by Deadline, Julia Garner has been selected to play the role of Shalla-Bal in the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe reboot of the Fantastic Four, directed by Matt Shakman.

Best known for her Emmy-winning performance in Netflix’s Ozark, Garner is set to portray a version of Shalla-Bal who is speculated to be from Earth-X, one of Marvel’s more notable alternate realities. Created by Jim Kreuger and Alex Ross, the mini-series was published in 1999 and followed by the sequel series Earth X, Universe X, Paradise X, and Marvels X.

While specific plot details for the Fantastic Four reboot are still closely guarded, the casting of Garner as Shalla-Bal, serving as a Herald of Galactus alongside the Silver Surfer, hints at a focus on Marvel’s alternate reality rather than the continuity of the current universe we have seen.

We saw the MCU expand into other universes in many projects including Spider-Man: No Way Home and The Marvels which showed the X-Men return to the big screen in an after-credit scene with all hints pointing to their existence being in a different universe.

The upcoming movie will play to a different tune from the more traditional Silver Surfer story depicted in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. Garner joins the previously cast Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn who will portray the titular hero family.

As Marvel seeks to reintroduce the beloved Fantastic Four to its movie portfolio following Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox, fans are eager to see how the iconic family make their way not only to the big screen again, but as part of the massive MCU that has been years in the making.

The Fantastic Four will be released on July 25, 2025.