Adam McKay Still Interested In Directing MCU Silver Surfer Movie

Adam McKay is still interested in making a Silver Surfer in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Phase 4 of the MCU is in its early stages, but Marvel Studios has already announced a full slate of movies and Disney+ TV shows coming through 2022. There are even more confirmed projects in the works that don't have official release dates, and Marvel is only starting to incorporate characters previously held by Fox. This includes the X-Men and Fantastic Four, with Spider-Man: No Way Home's Jon Watts hired to direct the MCU's first Fantastic 4 movie.

With the impending arrival of Marvel's First Family, plenty of people are counting down the days until some other characters from their universe appear. Doctor Doom and Galactus are at the top of most fan wish lists for villains who can threaten the entire MCU now that Thanos is gone. Many are also hoping Silver Surfer is on the horizon too. The powerful herald of Galactus holds immense potential for the MCU, and McKay remains interested in tackling a solo movie for Silver Surfer.

During a recent interview with Josh Horowitz's Happy Sad Confused Podcast, McKay was asked if he was still keen on directing a Silver Surfer movie for Marvel. The director – who is best known for Anchorman, Step Brothers, The Big Short, and Vice – previously expressed interest in telling Norrin Radd's story, but that was when Fox still had the rights to him. McKay revealed that something got in the way of his previous attempt to try and make Silver Surfer, teased his ideas for what the movie could be, and confirmed he's still interested and might call Marvel to see what the status is now.

Silver Surfer was tricky. There was something about it, cause we did look into it. I think it's connected to the Fantastic Four and because of that kind of lives under its own umbrella. But there was something that got in the way of it cause we did look into it a couple of years ago, but I could be wrong. I could be misremembering, but there was some reason it didn't happen or someone else was already working on it. But no, I was definitely into it because that would be a very easy one. If you look at Galactus and the origin story of the Silver Surfer, how he sacrificed himself for his home planet. Norrin Radd, was that his name? I haven't thought that name in a long time. That would be a very easy one to make it an environmental allegory. I think that could be an incredible movie, and I think it could be visually the most stunning Marvel movie that's ever been made. I haven't lost interest in that. In fact, now that you mention it maybe I'll lob a phone call and see what's going on.

McKay has been entertaining the idea of directing an MCU movie for years now. He was in consideration to helm Ant-Man after Edgar Wright's exit and contributed to the script. McKay also briefly discussed the possibility of making Inhumans and stepping in to direct Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, but his continued interest in Silver Surfer is something Marvel Studios could seriously consider. Fox was already developing a solo movie for Galactus' herald with Brian K. Vaughn writing a script. That is likely the project McKay refers to here that stopped him from developing his idea with Fox. Now that the MCU has access to Silver Surfer, it would be quite exciting if Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige and McKay joined forces for a solo film.

McKay's interest in Silver Surfer appears to go beyond the simple idea of just joining the world's biggest franchise. His idea stems from making a movie about environmental issues. Although McKay is best known for his comedy, he repeatedly has found ways to tackle real-world issues like the collapse of the housing market and corruption in Wall Street. He might also envision Silver Surfer as a visually striking blockbuster, but McKay wants to ensure his movie has a real-world message too. He praised Marvel's ability to do this with Captain America: The Winter Soldier and other movies during the interview. Now that McKay has reaffirmed his interest, audiences will have to wait and see if he helps bring Silver Surfer to the MCU with a solo movie.