There doesn’t appear to be much doubt about who Michael Briers of We Got This Covered and many others would like to see play the role of the Silver Surfer since Keanu Reeves’ name has been on the lips of many people since it was rumored that the cosmic hero will be coming to Thor: Love and Thunder. But it’s also fair enough to mention that Christian Bale has apparently been signed as well, though the popular rumor at this moment is that he’ll be playing the part of Beta Ray Bill, the other hammer-wielding hero in the Marvel universe that has powers identical to Thor’s. Of course a lot of people are also psyched to see Jane Foster, played by Natalie Portman, return to the saga since Lady Thor, yes that’s still the moniker, will be making her debut and it’s bound to be another moment in which many people are going to puff up their chest as women and the LGBTQ+ community welcome another female hero and take pride in noting that Valkyrie has been confirmed to be an LGBTQ+ heroine. At this point though the focus is starting to shift to who will play the silver-hued, board-riding, former herald of Galactus, and who will play the horse-faced thunder god.
If anyone remembers, and I’m sure many people still do, the voice of the Silver Surfer in one of the ill-fated Fantastic Four movies was performed by Laurence Fishburne, while the actual role was played by Doug Jones. While that movie didn’t do the best job of introducing the surfer to the big screen it’s a hope that since the character now belongs to the MCU that he’ll gain the kind of attention that people have been wanting to see, which would mean being taken on by a man whose reputation has soared to unimaginable heights throughout the last several years. Whether Keanu Reeves is really on the line for this role or not though is something that a lot of people don’t know but many of them are eagerly hoping for since it does appear that he would be able to take on this persona and make it work. One thing that many people need to realize however is that both the surfer and Beta Ray Bill would be largely CGI even if both men were suited up and acting out the characters, as the effects would need to be over the top in order to really take on the full scope of each character.
Just in case anyone needs refresher on who Beta Ray Bill is, he is what’s called a Korbinite and was revived after being genetically modified to be a champion of his race. After battling Thor to a standstill it was discovered that he could wield Mjolnir, Thor’s sacred hammer, which incited Odin to have the two battle to the death. When Bill couldn’t let Thor die Odin had the dwarf Eitri craft Stormbreaker, his own mystical hammer that he could wield in the defense of his own people. It’s the comics, Odin can do just about anything with very few limits so it’s not too hard to think that Bill has been hanging around the Marvel universe just waiting to be discovered. As for the Silver Surfer his story is well known to a lot of people since as Norrin Radd he gave up his chance to remain on his planet in exchange for his service as Galactus’s herald. This also saved his own planet, but would eventually become the surfer’s bane since he had to single out entire worlds for his master to consume. It was only when Galactus set his sights on earth that the Fantastic Four stepped in and the surfer eventually turned on his master after finally having a change of heart. The surfer’s long history has made it a point to remind him just what he did while in service to Galactus, so it’s kind of hopeful that the paladin-like hero will be somewhat tortured when he hits the screen, if only to insure that he’s as accurate as can be.
That’s a good enough reason to cast Keanu Reeves in the role since he can play the tortured and battered soul in pretty much any movie that calls for such a character, as John Wick has proven. Plus, the Silver Surfer is a seriously powerful character that has been known to take on some of the strongest and most over-powered characters in the MCU. He has taken on Thanos, without the Infinity Gauntlet, in the past and stood his ground. Beta Ray Bill is also a powerhouse since anyone that can go toe to toe with Thor deserves some recognition. Seeing both of them on the big screen would be a serious treat but it might dim the arrival of Lady Thor just a bit. Somehow though, that doesn’t feel as though it will be a problem since Taika Waititi is at the helm.
Follow Us
