Casting news is rolling in for the MCU’s Fantastic Four reboot, and the latest supports a bold and exciting alternate universe theory.

A split image of Silver Surfers Norrin Rad and Shalla Bal & Galactus from Marvel Comics

The MCU’s upcoming The Fantastic Four is slowly taking shape as the cast fills out, and new casting and character announcements make a bold theory about the team’s original seem much more likely. The Fantastic Four have already starred in three theatrical films, but anticipation is high for the team to join the MCU. Along with that comes questions over who the Fantastic Four will fight and how their history in the MCU will be explained.

A popular theory has been that the Fantastic Four will travel to the MCU from another reality. While confirmation will have to wait for an official plot synopsis, clues are slowly coming into focus to support this creative take. With The Marvels already setting precedence for new teams appearing via other universes, The Fantastic Four may indeed be coming from quite far away.

The Fantastic Four Will Feature Galactus And An Alternate Silver Surfer

Shalla-Bal as an alternate universe version of the Silver Surfer in Marvel Comics

Rumors and theories have long persisted that The Fantastic Four would feature Galactus and his herald, the Silver Surfer. However, those theories are no longer hearsay. On April 4, it was reported that acclaimed actor Julia Garner will be playing a version of the Silver Surfer. Shortly after, Deadline‘s Justin Kroll, who broke the Garner news, confirmed that Galactus will also be featured.

While neither SIlver Surfer nor Galactus is unexpected news for a Fantastic Four movie, the twist few saw coming is that Garner is playing Shalla-Bal, an entirely different character than the more popular and commonly seen Silver Surfer. While fans of the more popular Norrin Radd may be disappointed, Shalla-Bal and Galactus collectively make a bold The Fantastic Four theory look a lot more likely.

The Fantastic Four Casting Announcements Make The Alternate Timeline Theory Way More Likely

Silver Surfer Prepared To Fight With Sue Storm Behind Him In Fantastic Four Rise of the Silver Surfer

The longer the MCU goes on, the harder it is to explain where new heroes and teams have been during past events in the Marvel Universe. As such, the franchise has gotten creative with how to weave characters into the already existing fabric of the franchise. However, of note is that the announcement image for The Fantastic Four sets the movie back in the 1960s. While one theory posits the team will be stuck in time, another suggests they may actually join Earth-616 from another universe. It’s the latter that seems more likely now than ever.

Galactus is a (literally) massive threat, a force of nature that devours planets as a natural part of the universe’s life cycle. While he’s been thwarted in the past, it seems like a mistake for The Fantastic Four to debut such an insurmountable force and quickly dispatch him in the team’s debut movie. However, there’s a darker option. Given there’s already precedence for traveling between dimensions and given Reed is one of the Marvel Universe’s foremost minds, it’s not out of the question that Galactus actually succeeds in destroying the Fantastic Four’s Earth, forcing them to flee to another one.

However, the bigger clue comes from Shalla-Bal. While she’s a former love interest of Norrin Radd and spends a short stint as a herald of Galactus, it’s in the alternate reality of Universe X that she’s actually a Silver Surfer in Marvel Comics. As such, it seems increasingly possible that she’ll fill the role in the Fantastic Four’s home reality to be replaced by the more classic Norrin if he ever appears on Earth-616.

The Fantastic Four Theory Sets The Team Up For A Truly Memorable Debut

Galactus sitting in his ship.

It’s easy to imagine the alternate universe theory creating a wildly memorable debut for Marvel’s First Family. One complaint of the modern MCU is that its movies have become too predictable and repetitive after 16 years, and the Fantastic Four needs a unique twist to keep their story fresh. The heroes have only truly lost in Avengers: Infinity War (though their victory is partial at best in Captain America: Civil War), and ending The Fantastic Four with the failure to stop Galactus and the destruction of their home planet makes them incredibly sympathetic newcomers to the mainline MCU.

It is, of course, too early to speak with confidence about The Fantastic Four. At this point, it’s also possible that Shalla-Bel is simply the main Silver Surfer in the MCU, and the titular team will find a way to stave off the threat of Galactus. However, the MCU needs some big risks to pay off to get the franchise back on track, and this possible The Fantastic Four twists could be just the ticket.