For the voice of the Herald of Galactus in “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer,” director Tim Story cast Oscar-nominated actor Laurence Fishburne. And while Fishburne — whose distinguished list of credits before the film’s 2007 release included roles in “Boyz n the Hood,” “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” and the first three films in the Matrix series — clearly had enough experience to step into the voice role, the move ultimately disappointed Doug Jones.
“This is a painful issue for me,” Jones told Rotten Tomatoes in 2007. “For any actor, it would be. No actor wants to see a portion of their performance taken away, myself included, especially when I really like the sound of the Surfer that I gave. A lot of people involved with the film told me that they got goosebumps and chills when I would talk as the Silver Surfer, so I am sorry to see that go.”
However, Jones praised his fellow Silver Surfer actor’s performance in the interview, noting, “I also want to say Laurence Fishburne is a fantastic actor. You could do worse, and I’m very honored to be billed alongside of him.”
Whether the Silver Surfer will make a big-screen comeback in the Fantastic Four reboot is yet to be seen since a recent MCU rumor claims the Silver Surfer will not be the Herald of Galactus. That could mean a different herald for the planet-consuming character could be used, like the female powerhouse Nova. Or, if a rumor Hollywood insider Jeff Sneider shared on “The Hot Mic” podcast proves true, director Matt Shakman will gender-swap the Silver Surfer and make the character female instead.
