The Silver Surfer's MCU debut will not happen anytime soon, definitely not in 'Thor: Love and Thunder'
Here's some news right off the bat: The Silver Surfer will have to bide his time before he makes an appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And, Christian Bale is not playing the Silver Surfer in 'Thor: Love and Thunder'. Director, Taika Waititi took a few questions after hosting the Watch Party on Instagram and confirmed that Silver Surfer will not be in the film. Bale's role is yet to be revealed. All that is known so far is that he plays an "otherworldly" alien.
The Silver Surfer was last seen in 'Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer', directed by Tim Story. With the Fox-Disney merger now complete, there is every opportunity for the character to make a return. Norrin Radd/Silver Surfer was created by Jack Kirby and first appeared in the comic book Fantastic Four #48, published in 1966. Radd comes with a rich comic history that sees him save his homeworld from Galactus, by serving as his herald.
Thanks to the merger, there's room for not just the Silver Surfer, but for a vast number of characters who're yet to appear in the MCU and can actually go on to play a major role. With Phase 4 looming, the focus has moved to who the MCU's new big bad would be. By the looks of it, it may seem to be Galactus. For now. There have been theories about how Thanos' second snap at the start of 'Avengers: Endgame' was more of a beacon for Galactus to make his presence felt.
Galactus was formerly human. He goes on to become a cosmic entity who consumes planets to sustain his life force. He first appeared in the comic book Fantastic Four #48, published in March 1966. It also makes sense to introduce Galactus at this point as it appears Marvel's focus in Phase 4 is predominantly on cosmic superheroes. With 'Guardians of the Galaxy' set to release the third volume sometime in 2022, it seems apt to bring in the mega villain who can throw down the gauntlet to the superheroes.
However, it doesn't look like Marvel Studios is planning to throw them in a movie immediately, despite popular fan theories. During last year's San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel Studios President, Kevin Feige announced that Fantastic Four and X-Men are in development, but the first Marvel family will be given some much-needed attention. This does come across as a safer bet as both previous installments of the 'Fantastic Four' was received with mixed opinions while the 2066 reboot was a major dampener.
That said, it looks like we'll not be seeing the Silver Surfer anytime soon. Marvel's meticulous approach means giving a solid backstory to each of their biggest characters and it is unlikely they rush in with Radd.
Meanwhile, 'Thor: Love and Thunder' is all set to release on February 28, 2022.