Fantastic Four: Major Change Rumored for MCU Silver Surfer

The Cosmic Wanderer may look a little different in their next live-action appearance. A new report suggests Marvel's Fantastic Four film will gender-swap one Norrin Radd, the beloved cosmic character better known as the Silver Surfer. The report comes buried in a larger Fantastic Four piece from Hollywood scooper Jeff Sneider, one in which the insider also suggested Marvel Studios is chasing after Javier Bardem to play Galactus.

"And yes, you can expect to see a female Silver Surfer," Sneider dropped in his piece. Sneider also reported that Christopher Abbott and Jamie Dornan were both up for the role of Reed Richards, but screen tested poorly. Marvel Studios is now said to be in final talks with Pedro Pascal to appear as the patriarch of Marvel's First Family.

After appearing in Fox's Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, the character went dormant in live-action until the studio started putting together the groundwork for a solo movie featuring the icon. At the time, it was said Adam McKay was set to helm that particular iteration of the project.

"Silver Surfer was tricky. There was something about it, cause we did look into it. I think it's connected to the Fantastic Four reboot and because of that kind of lives under its own umbrella," McKay said of the project in 2021. "But there was something that got in the way of it cause we did look into it a couple of years ago, but I could be wrong. I could be misremembering, but there was some reason it didn't happen or someone else was already working on it. But no, I was definitely into it because that would be a very easy one."

The film is being directed by Matt Shakman from a script by MCU newcomers Josh Friedman, Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer. The Fantastic Four movie is currently slated to hit theaters on May 2, 2025.

Who do you want to see in Marvel's First Family this time around? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section!