In a bold and refreshing move, Julia Garner has sparked a conversation that’s rippling through Hollywood. The acclaimed actress, known for her riveting performances in Ozark and The Americans, has taken on the iconic role of Shalla-Bal, the Silver Surfer, in Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps. But it’s not just her casting that’s turning heads—it’s her candid critique of the pervasive male gaze in Hollywood, shared during her time on set, that’s igniting discussions about representation, authenticity, and the future of blockbuster cinema.

Garner’s comments come at a pivotal moment for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), as The Fantastic Four: First Steps aims to reintroduce Marvel’s First Family to a new generation. Set in the vibrant, retro-futuristic world of Earth-828 in 1964, the film stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm. Garner’s Shalla-Bal, a female iteration of the Silver Surfer, serves as the herald of the planet-devouring Galactus, played by Ralph Ineson. This casting choice, while rooted in comic book lore, initially stirred controversy among fans accustomed to the male Norrin Radd from 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. Yet, Garner’s performance and her outspoken perspective have shifted the narrative, earning praise and sparking intrigue.

During a recent interview on the set of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Garner didn’t shy away from addressing the systemic issues she’s encountered in the industry. “Hollywood has long been shaped by a male gaze that prioritizes certain narratives and aesthetics,” she said, reflecting on her experience navigating blockbuster filmmaking. “Playing Shalla-Bal gave me a chance to challenge that, to bring depth to a character who isn’t just a visual spectacle but a complex being with her own agency and tragedy.” Her words resonate with a growing movement in cinema to redefine how female characters are portrayed, moving beyond objectification to embrace multidimensional storytelling.

Shalla-Bal, as Garner portrays her, is not a gender-swapped gimmick but a character with a rich comic book history. First introduced in The Silver Surfer #1 in 1968, Shalla-Bal is the empress of Zenn-La and the lover of Norrin Radd, who becomes the Silver Surfer to save their planet from Galactus. In the Earth-X comic series, Shalla-Bal herself takes on the mantle of the Silver Surfer, a narrative thread that director Matt Shakman leverages in First Steps. “There’s this mystery about her, and there’s this sense of this ambiguous energy going on of whether she’s good or not,” Garner told Entertainment Weekly. “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.”

Garner’s casting initially faced backlash from some fans who argued that the Silver Surfer should remain male, as seen in the 2007 film where Doug Jones portrayed the character with Laurence Fishburne’s voice. Social media platforms like X saw comments like, “Ehm isn’t Silver Surfer a man? Another film ruined,” and accusations of the film being “woke.” However, Garner addressed the criticism with grace at the film’s London premiere, telling the BBC, “I said, ‘I’m just going to still do my job.’ Also, it’s Shalla-Bal, so it’s different.” Her focus on delivering a compelling performance has won over many skeptics, with fans on Reddit praising her as “badass” and highlighting her galactic chase sequence with the Fantastic Four as “one of the greatest action scenes in any comic book movie.”

The actress’s critique of the male gaze isn’t just a soundbite—it’s a reflection of her approach to Shalla-Bal. To prepare for the role, Garner immersed herself in the comics, diving into the character’s tragic backstory. “I was most surprised by actually how tragic her story is,” she told USA Today. “If this was a human, you would be like, it’s devastating. So that really resonated with me and helped ground it.” Her preparation extended beyond research; she worked with surfing adviser Tehillah McGuinness to master Shalla-Bal’s cosmic surfboard movements, ensuring the character’s otherworldly grace felt authentic. Garner also drew inspiration from unexpected sources, like T.S. Eliot’s poetry readings for her character’s ominous warning to Earth and ‘70s krautrock music to capture Shalla-Bal’s cosmic vibe.

The visual design of Shalla-Bal has also sparked debate. Some fans, like those on ScreenRant, expressed disappointment with the character’s appearance, citing an “uncanny valley” effect due to the addition of hair and the reflective chrome aesthetic. Yet, Garner remains unfazed, teasing that her Silver Surfer will be “really shiny” and distinct from past iterations, aligning with the film’s retro-futuristic tone. “It kind of oddly looked like a runway, which is something I always notice the best,” she told Entertainment Weekly, hinting at a costume that feels both comic-accurate and high-fashion. Her use of motion capture technology, a first for her, added another layer of complexity to the role. “It was such a surreal experience,” she said. “Normally, last looks would be hair and makeup, and then all of a sudden, it was just wires.”

The broader context of The Fantastic Four: First Steps amplifies Garner’s impact. The film, which grossed $368 million worldwide and earned an A− CinemaScore, has been praised for its bold departure from traditional superhero origin stories. Critics like Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian lauded its “hallucinatory” 1960s aesthetic, while David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter highlighted Garner’s “commanding portrayal” that transitions from icy to sorrowful. The film’s success, coupled with Garner’s performance, has fueled speculation about a potential Silver Surfer spinoff. “A hundred percent, I would love to do that,” Garner said when asked about a solo film. “The Silver Surfer is such a cool character, and I feel like it’s so rare to be presented with any sort of mystery in this day and age.”

Garner’s critique of the male gaze ties into a larger conversation about Hollywood’s evolving landscape. Her role as Shalla-Bal challenges the industry to rethink how female characters are crafted, moving away from tropes that cater to a narrow perspective. Fans have taken to platforms like Reddit to celebrate her performance, with one user noting, “I loved the Silver Surfer stuff. Riding a wormhole wave is awesome.” Others have defended the casting, arguing that the alternate universe setting of Earth-828 allows for creative freedom without erasing the possibility of seeing Norrin Radd in the main MCU timeline.

As The Fantastic Four: First Steps continues to captivate audiences, Julia Garner’s voice—both as Shalla-Bal and as an advocate for change—resonates deeply. Her ability to navigate backlash, embrace a complex character, and call out Hollywood’s shortcomings makes her a force to be reckoned with. Whether she’s surfing wormholes or challenging industry norms, Garner is proving that her Silver Surfer is more than a herald of Galactus—she’s a herald of a new era in storytelling. For fans eager to see this cosmic adventure, the film is now in theaters, inviting audiences to witness a character who’s as enigmatic as she is revolutionary.