Jessica Alba Reflects on Her Time as Sue Storm and the Scene She Hated Most

It’s been nearly 20 years since Jessica Alba suited up as Sue Storm, the Invisible Woman, in Fantastic Four, and the actress is now looking back with fresh perspective — including opening up about a moment she truly disliked.

Speaking during a recent appearance at the Red Sea Film Festival, Alba revealed that her least favorite scene in the 2005 superhero movie was the now-infamous bridge sequence. In that moment, Sue Storm is forced to strip down so she can completely turn invisible in front of a crowd.

“I thought that was awful,” Alba said, according to Variety. She described the experience as humiliating and emotionally difficult, explaining that she was raised in a conservative household and considers herself a modest person. Alba admitted she dreaded filming the scene for weeks and still feels lingering discomfort when she thinks back on that time.

Despite that experience, Alba made it clear that her overall feelings toward Sue Storm remain positive. She said she deeply admired the character and loved how Sue broke common gender stereotypes in superhero films of that era.

“She was very maternal and very kind, but also not a pushover,” Alba explained. “She spoke her mind and had a strong moral compass. No matter who you are, you can look up to her.”

Alba also reflected on how female characters were often written in action and superhero movies back then. “Oftentimes, women needed to be saved or were treated as the problem in the story,” she said, adding that things have thankfully changed since then.

The original Fantastic Four films — Fantastic Four and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer — received mixed reviews from critics but performed well at the box office. The movies helped set the stage for the massive superhero boom that followed.

Alongside Alba, the films starred Ioan Gruffudd as Reed Richards, Chris Evans as Johnny Storm, and Michael Chiklis as Ben Grimm.

Alba stepped away from superhero films after Rise of the Silver Surfer and has since passed the Invisible Woman mantle to Vanessa Kirby, who plays Sue Storm in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s reboot, The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The new film also stars Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach.

When asked if she has seen Kirby’s take on Sue Storm yet, Alba admitted she hasn’t — mainly because her kids control movie night at home.

“If Sonic is available, my son wants to watch it over and over again,” she joked. Still, Alba said she plans to watch the film soon, adding that she loves Marvel movies and finds them fun for the whole family.