MCU Fantastic Four: Adam McKay Teases Potential Silver Surfer Movie Plot

By Richard Nebens Updated:
Silver Surfer MCU Avengers Fantastic Four

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has grown exponentially over the last few years through the end of Phase 3, and the future is brighter than ever as the team at Marvel Studios looks to Phase 4 and beyond. After completing the first full seasons for WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier , fans now look forward to more exclusive series and the return of the MCU's full-length theatrical releases.

While many of these movies will be prequels and sequels for heroes established during the Infinity Saga like Black Widow and Spider-Man: No Way Home , excitement is building for popular characters making their MCU debuts. Possibly at the top of this list of newcomers in terms of hype is Marvel's First Family, who will finally join the MCU after the Fox/Disney merger in Fantastic Four .

While it's still unclear what the future will hold for this team specifically, an MCU writer recently revealed his thoughts on a character from the Fantastic Four legacy he'd love to tackle...

ADAM MCKAY IS INTERESTED IN SILVER SURFER

Silver Surfer Avengers
Marvel

In an interview with Josh Horowitz's Happy Sad Confused Podcast , via Screen Rant , Ant-Man writer Adam McKay gave his thoughts on a potential movie centered around the Silver Surfer from the Fantastic Four comics.

McKay commented on how he and others "look(ed) into it a couple of years ago," although he called it "tricky" with the character living "under its own umbrella" with Marvel's First Family:

"Silver Surfer was tricky. There was something about it, cause we did look into it. I think it's connected to the Fantastic Four and because of that kind of lives under its own umbrella. 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."

McKay shared details of his idea for the film's plot to ultimately be an "environmental allegory" centered around the iconic character, feeling that this could make for "an incredible movie."

Calling a potential Silver Surfer film "visually the most stunning Marvel movie that's ever been made," McKay confirmed that this is an adventure he would love to take on if he got the opportunity:

"But no, I was definitely into it because that would be a very easy one. If you look at Galactus and the origin story of the Silver Surfer, how he sacrificed himself for his home planet. Norrin Radd, was that his name? I haven't thought that name in a long time. That would be a very easy one to make it an environmental allegory. I think that could be an incredible movie, and I think it could be visually the most stunning Marvel movie that's ever been made. I haven't lost interest in that. In fact, now that you mention it maybe I'll lob a phone call and see what's going on."

ALL THAT YOU KNOW...IS AT AN END

The Silver Surfer came to the big screen in the 2007 sequel Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer with the voice talents of future MCU actor Laurence Fishburne . While this movie featured him as the villain initially, he was turned into a more sympathetic figure when it was revealed that he was an agent of Marvel supervillain Galactus.

Adam McKay has made quite the name for himself as a writer in Hollywood, and it's clear that his ties to the comic book movie world run deep after his work on 2015's Ant-Man with star Paul Rudd and director Peyton Reed . The passion he has for the Silver Surfer is evident, and it would certainly bring a new dynamic to the Marvel world, helping deliver something potentially more satisfying than his first big-screen appearance in 2007.

That being said, it will still likely be some time before any specific information is revealed about what the MCU's take on the Fantastic Four will bring. The movie is still a long way from seeing the light of day, and the only name attached is director Jon Watts from the MCU Spider-Man trilogy. That being said, should the MCU choose to tackle another iteration of Norrid Radd , there would certainly be people from every angle who want to see it done right.

Fantastic Four will debut within the MCU sometime in the future.

- In This Article: The Fantastic Four
Release Date
July 25, 2025
Platform
Theaters
Actors
- About The Author: Richard Nebens
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer and also working as an assistant editor and content creator. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.