While the superhero genre is everywhere nowadays, these types of movies used to be kind of rare. Case in point: the Fantastic Four movies, which came out in 2005 and 2007, before the MCU had even begun its reign in theaters. That same team is going to finally join the shared universe in an upcoming Marvel movie, thanks to Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox and its properties. After the MCU’s Fantastic Four casting, Jessica Alba is reflecting on her time as Sue Storm.
What we know about Fantastic Four is limited, but a killer quartet of actors were cast to play the titular team. Vanessa Kirby is the new Invisible Woman, Jessica Alba played that role in a pair of blockbusters (which are streaming with a Disney+ subscription). She recently spoke to ComicBook about her feelings about that character, saying:
It's nothing but fond memories. I loved it so much playing that character. I feel like my whole life started in a lot of ways at that moment. I met my life partner, we're still together, we have three kids. Tim Story, who directed, is still one of my best friends. We have New Year's Eve together. It was great and she was such a cool, inspiring character and ahead of her time, I would say, in the genre. And still, you still haven't seen someone who is so nurturing and feminine, but then also a fearsome badass. I haven't seen that combination again. And so I think she still fills this beautiful kind of space or void in the Marvel universe.
How sweet is that? It sounds like her time as Sue Storm has continued to affect her life in the years since stepping away from the role. She took home real bonds with her collaborators, and clearly has a love for her character. And it should be interesting to see what Kirby brings to the table as the beloved hero.
The cast list for Fantastic Four is coming together, and director Matt Shakman has been making some inspired casting choices. Fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order have not-so-patiently waiting for the team to finally join the MCU, so the pressure is on for the ensemble to really deliver when appearing on the big screen.
Jessica Alba's comments offered her observation about how female superhero characters have been handled in the years since she retired as Sue Storm. While there have been plenty of badass women, she doesn't think that they balanced all of the sides that Alba brought to Invisible Woman. As such, there are big shoes to fill with the forthcoming MCU version.
Luckily for fans, the wait for the new Fantastic Four movie shouldn't be all that long, considering. The movie is currently expected to arrive on July 25th, 2025. While we wait, check the 2025 movie release dates.
