Why Silver Surfer’s “Die With Yours” Echoes the Gospel

A Bible Study on the movie Fantastic Four: First Steps

Not sure where to get started? Find our 101 Guide to using our curriculum here.

---

Opening Prayer

Start with a prayer inviting understanding.

Sample Prayer:
Holy God, You showed us the greatest love by laying down Your life for Your friends. Open our eyes to Your heart today. Teach us to love like You—freely, wisely, and with dignity for every person. Amen.

Prep Questions

1. When you hear “Die with yours,” what emotion pops up first—fear, loyalty, purpose, something else?

2. Who are “your people” right now (family, friends, small group, team)?

3. Share a moment from any story (movie/game/anime/comic) where a character’s self-giving love hit you hard. Why did it land?

Link to Video

Shortened Transcript

In the film, the Silver Surfer’s bleak blessing—“Die with yours”—sounds like “brace for doom.” By the end, it flips: it becomes an invitation to sacrificial love.

• Crisis: Galactus targets Earth and demands baby Franklin Richards. The Four refuse to treat a person as payment.

• Sacrifices:

  • Sue spends everything to push Galactus into a portal—self-giving love.

  • Johnny is ready to die with/for Sue—solidarity love.

  • Silver Surfer (Shalla-Bal) switches sides and sacrifices herself—evil defeated by self-giving love.

  • Franklin’s power raises Sue—resurrection and restoration.

• Wesleyan lens on atonement (how Jesus saves):

  • Penal Substitution (in our place): The Galactus demand is a distortion (treating a life like fuel). In the Gospel, God is not Galactus; the Triune God willingly bears our sin in love (John 10:18; 2 Cor 5:19).

  • Christus Victor (victory): Love overthrows the powers of sin/evil/death.

  • Moral Influence (love awakens love): Their sacrifice moves Surfer to repent and act.

  • Recapitulation (healing/reset): New life breaks in—Franklin’s “resurrection moment” echoes Jesus making all things new.
    The line “Die with yours” is transformed into “Live and love so deeply that you will spend yourself for one another—even when it costs.”