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Marvel initially cast Jessica Alba to play the Invisible Woman Sue Storm in 2005’s Fantastic Four. Almost two decades later, Alba still has plenty of warm memories from her time as a superhero. So much so she considered the movies a turning point in her life.

Jessica Alba felt ‘Fantastic Four’ gave her a new beginning

Jessica Alba smiling at the premiere of 'Fantastic Four" Rise of the Silver Surfer',
LONDON – JUNE 12: Actress Jessica Alba arrives at the World Jessica Alba | Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

Before Fantastic Four, Alba was already known for playing action heroes. One of her breakthrough projects was Dark Angel, where she portrayed the cybernetic warrior Max Guevara. But other projects didn’t offer Alba the same rewarding experience that Dark Angel did. Alba found herself being offered a bunch of stereotypical roles she quickly soured on.

“The scripts I get are always for the whore, the motorcycle chick in leather or the horny maid,” Alba once told Rolling Stone (via Campus Circle). “I get all these screenplays that start, ‘Tawnya is in the shower. The water streams down her naked, perky breasts.’ I don’t think this is happening to Natalie Portman.”

Fantastic Four gave Alba the opportunity to play what felt like a more respectable character to her. Still, she admitted she was slightly nervous about portraying the iconic superhero.

“But at the end of the day, when this opportunity came I couldn’t say no. I just feel I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night if I turned this movie down. It’s such a great story and hopefully everyone will be pleased,” Alba said.

What she especially admired about the Invisible Woman was how much she meant to the superhero family.

“[In Fantastic Four] Sue keeps trying to keep everybody together. She just wants everyone to be okay,” she added. “It seems like when she’s trying to do that, everyone is so caught up in their problems that’s when she disappears. And so it’s very metaphorical. I love it. I’m not that familiar with the comic book, but when I read the script I just thought it was great. It’s just about family and it’s so hopeful.”

But Fantastic Four didn’t only affect Alba’s professional life, but her personal life as well. Alba formed new friendships doing the movies. She even met her current husband, Cash Warren, on the set of 2005’s Fantastic Four.

“I feel like my whole life started in a lot of ways at that moment,” she told Comicbook. “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.”

Jessica Alba recently gave advice to new ‘Fantastic Four’ star Vanessa Kirby

There have been a few previous Marvel actors who’ve reprised their superhero roles recently. Although Alba wasn’t one of them, she wouldn’t be opposed to playing Sue Storm again. She even seemed a bit excited about the idea.

“[I’d be open to] anything in the Marvel universe. I’m a fan of all the superhero stories, and it was a great time in my life,” she said in an interview with People not too long ago. “So yeah, if they would have me, sure.”

But until that day comes, Pieces of a Woman star Vanessa Kirby will be portraying the character in the upcoming 2025 Fantastic Four film. Kirby had been rumored to be a part of the Marvel superhero family for quite some time before she was officially announced as Sue Storm. Given Alba’s experience with the superhero, she offered her successor some sage advice on playing the part.

“I think just have fun. The fans are so amazing,” she told Collider. “It was probably one of the best times of my life, going around the world and meeting all of the people that just love The Fantastic Four and love these comic books and can relate to these stories. That, to me, and to be able to meet so many different people that you can touch and bring joy to them, I would say that’s first and foremost for anyone who gets the honor of playing one of these awesome characters. So I’d tell her to just have fun and soak in the moments.”

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