Now that a Fantastic Four movie is officially on the way, it's time to start thinking about who is going to play the main characters in that film. Unlike some of the other characters in the MCU, there have already been a few different attempts at putting this group on the silver screen. For the most part, those attempts have been a pretty big critical failure. they've also been pretty big failures when it comes to the fanbase. There are all kinds of different reasons why the films have been failures, but the fact of the matter is, if the new Fantastic Four movie is going to be a successful part of the MCU, then it's going to need to have the right actors in key roles. That doesn't just mean the people who are playing the titular roles, but also the right people in parts like Doctor Doom and the Silver Surfer should he make an appearance.
While the Silver Surfer isn't technically a part of the Fantastic Four, he's a character that is often associated with them. Comic book movie fans know that he was central to one of the earlier films that starred Sue Storm, Reed Richards, The Thing, and Johnny Storm. Rise of the Silver Surfer wasn't a particularly good movie either, but it did show what an MCU version of the character would look like and would behave like. The character itself, as a matter of fact, has some gravitas that the actual Fantastic Four didn't. That's why there is such support for him to make a reappearance whenever this new MCU-based movie finally hits. So, in order to once again get that level of gravitas and star power, the right actor needs to be hired for the job. Luckily, there are a few top candidates out there.
Ricky Whittle
Taking on the role of the Silver Surfer is an interesting one if for no other reason than quite a bit of the character is going to have to be CGI. That was the way he was in Rise of the Silver Surfer and it stands to reason that's what he'll be like in the MCU version of the film. That means that whoever takes on the Silver Surfer doesn't really need to look like the Silver Surfer. Laurence Fishburne only lent his voice to the galactic superhero back in the day. The MCU version of the Fantastic Four could go the same route.
On the other hand, in order to make the best Silver Surfer possible, it would be the best idea to have someone who can actually look like the character as well as sound like him. One actor who has the voice chops and the looks to pull of the character is Ricky Whittle. The actor became well-known thanks to his role as Shadow Moon in American Gods. He's already managed to make the world see him as a formidable entity. Now he can make the leap to the MCU. The funniest part about this particular actor is that while he might be best known for his smooth pate, he's not actually bald. But at least it's clear he can pull off that look. He's also plenty muscle-bound enough that he could pull off the look of the Silver Surfer should they model the character on his body and not just his voice.
Keanu Reeves
Thanks to Keanu Reeves' laid-back personality and surfer style cadence, fans of the comic book world have long wanted to put Reeves into the role of the Silver Surfer. When talking about whether or not he would lend both his body and his voice, it would seem as if Reeves would add the personality of the character and let someone else lend his muscles and bald pate. It's ironic that if he went that route, he's be following in the footsteps with a former castmate. Perhaps Fishburne could even teach him a thing or two based on his days lending his own voice to the Silver Surfer. Reeves still has the ability to bring a level of respectability to the character that is needed when it comes to the MCU.
Vin Diesel
Like Ricky Whittle, Vin Diesel is someone who can lend both his voice and his look to the Silver Surfer in the Fantastic Four movie. Of course, there are a few twists and turns in order to get this particular actor into that role. The first is that the Fast and the Furious actor is already a part of the MCU. Of course, he doesn't really appear on screen and his only lines are "I am Groot," so it's not like fans of the Fantastic Four would automatically know that he was doing double duty. In fact, this could be a way for him to get even more exposure in the MCU. It seems unlikely that Marvel would hire the same actor for two different characters, but it's not entirely unprecedented. Paul Bettany has taken on the role of Jarvis and The Vision. Though that's a bit different because The Vision is in part, the physical embodiment of Jarvis.
Liev Schreiber
If the discussion for who will join the cast of the Fantastic Four movie is more about the voice of the Silver Surfer than the look, then Liev Schreiber should be right at the top of the list. He's got one of the most sought-after voices in television and film. He's also someone who understands what it is to be in a Marvel movie. Sure, he made his appearance as Sabretooth in the time before the MCU was a thing, but he still has some experience in this kind of film. Like Reeves, the film wouldn't be using Schreiber's body but when talking about a silver galactic entity that is made from CGI tech, that's not really a big loss.
Idris Elba
Yet another actor who could lend both his body and his voice to the role of the Silver Surfer is Idris Elba. There is a catch here as well, considering that he's already made an appearance in the MCU, and his appearance is quite a bit more substantive than Diesel's. Elba has previously played Heimdall in the Thor movies. However, that character has since been killed off and that could give both Elba and Heimdall another start. The Silver Surfer is basically someone who is given intergalactic powers by a giant, planet-eating demi-god. There's nothing to say that there couldn't be a plot written where Galactus was able to resurrect Heimdall and turn him into the Silver Surfer if that was the way they wanted to go. Of course, because the characters look so different, that isn't something that actually needs to be done. Elba would be a heck of a fit for the character either way.