The Silver Surfer made his film debut in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, with Laurence Fishburne providing the voice of the CGI character. The film was a success and 20th Century Fox hired J. Michael Straczynski to write a screenplay for the spin-off film. Straczynski said his script is a sequel, but will also delve into the Surfer's origins.

In this continuity, the Surfer's origins are highly similar to that of his comic-book incarnation, in that he agreed to become Galactus' herald in return for the safety of his home-world, Zenn-La, and the woman he loved, Shalla-Bal. The movie incarnation differs from his comics counterpart in that instead of having innate power (the Power Cosmic), his power comes from the surfboard itself, which also serves as a beacon for Galactus. In the end, the Surfer turns on Galactus after he witnesses Sue Storm die in Reed's arms. The Surfer brings Sue back to life and then goes off to destroy Galactus, appearing to implode when he does. At the end of the film, the Surfer is floating aimlessly through space, with his board in the background. As he drifts off screen, his eyes open and his board drifts towards him.