The Silver Surfer Speculation Continues

The award for most talked about guest appearance in a comic book flick could belong to "Fantastic Four 2." Fans have been hanging on every tidbit since the announcement that a CGI Silver Surfer will be in the sequel to the 2005 Marvel Comics movie adaptation of "Fantastic Four" starring Jessica Alba, Ioan Gruffudd, Chris Evans, and Michael Chiklis. This is a very big deal to some. It’s Surfer’s big screen debut, and the fact that it was the Fantastic Four the Surfer first encountered upon coming to Earth in the comics just makes the occasion all the more appropriate and exciting. It also makes one wonder how they will pull off this translation from complex comics plot to two-hour movie sequel.

Naturally, the first question to be asked is who will play, or rather voice, the Silver Surfer. This is the answer everyone is awaiting. There have been several potential names thrown into the rumor mill, and IGN.com has offered a new one. They claim to have a tip that Bruce James (born Bruce James Lee) from the upcoming "Snakes on a Plane" is the forerunner for the part. James has played exclusively on television until "Snakes" with one-time roles on "Dead Like Me," "Tru Calling," and "The L Word." This rumor is particularly interesting since "Snakes" star Samuel L. Jackson’s name was somehow tossed into the rumor mill a while back when there was premature and unsubstantiated gossip about Silver Surfer getting his own movie as so many other comic heroes are these days. Of course, all of this is unconfirmed speculation still.

The Silver Surfer was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, and so far, word is that the comic story "Coming of Galactus" will be the basis for "FF2" apparently titled "Fantastic Four and the Silver Surfer." He is said to be the villain but should turn out to be a friend. The Surfer rode a huge wave onto the Marvel scene in 1966, and then enjoyed a 146-issue run from 1987 to 1998. Interest in the Silver Surfer had been falling off and led to the cancellation of his solo title, but in 2003, another attempt was made to bring Silver Surfer back into his own in the Marvel universe. Unfortunately, the new series only lasted 14 issues. Well, the Surfer is about to get his big break, and it’s possible that "FF2" might just bring him back in with the intergalactic tide of the comics universe.