Jessica Alba Opens Up About Her Most Uncomfortable Film Scene
Jessica Alba reflects on a notorious scene from Fantastic Four, describing the experience as deeply embarrassing due to her modest background, yet she remains proud of her role as one of the few female superheroes of the era.
Jessica Alba’s career has never been one to court critical acclaim, and her name is more likely to crop up in a Razzie nomination than at any major awards ceremony. Still, she’s managed to carve out a place for herself in the world of cinema, particularly through her collaborations with Robert Rodriguez and, perhaps most memorably, as Susan Storm in the first big-screen adaptation of The Fantastic Four. That role, despite the mixed reception of the films, has become something of a touchstone for fans of early 2000s superhero fare, a reminder of a time before the genre was dominated by the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Even the sequel, Rise of the Silver Surfer, is fondly remembered by some for its playful tone and a particularly amusing Stan Lee cameo.
Yet, for Alba, not all memories from that period are pleasant. Speaking at the Red Sea Film Festival in 2025, she revisited a moment from the first Fantastic Four film that has lingered for all the wrong reasons. The infamous scene in question required her character to disrobe in order to remain invisible, only for the effect to fail, leaving her exposed in front of everyone.
“I thought that was awful,”
she admitted,
“It was very humiliating in real life. I grew up with a pretty conservative family, and I am a pretty modest person. I dreaded that scene for weeks.”
Unwanted Spotlight
This wasn’t the only time Alba found herself uncomfortable on set. She’s previously spoken about her experience filming Into the Blue, a sun-soaked thriller that saw her in swimwear for the majority of the production. Alba became something of a poster girl for the mid-2000s, her image plastered across bedroom walls and magazine covers, a status that studios were all too eager to exploit. The decision to include scenes that highlighted her physical appearance was hardly accidental, reflecting the prevailing attitudes of the era—one that often prioritised spectacle over substance, especially where women were concerned.
Despite the discomfort, Alba’s portrayal of Susan Storm remains significant. At a time when female superheroes were a rarity, her character stood out as a beacon for representation, even if the scripts didn’t always do her justice. The landscape was rather barren: aside from a poorly received Elektra spin-off and the occasional appearance of Jean Grey in the X-Men films, there was little for young women to look up to in the world of comic book adaptations. Alba herself has described Susan as
“a woman I looked up to”
, a sentiment that might seem at odds with the more exploitative aspects of her role, but one that speaks to the paucity of options available at the time.
Looking Back and Ahead
With Marvel’s original superhero family set to return to cinemas in 2025, speculation is rife about whether Alba might reprise her role. Chris Evans has already made a surprise comeback in Deadpool & Wolverine, so the door is certainly open. If she does return, one can only hope that the industry has moved on from the days when actresses were routinely put in such uncomfortable positions, and that any future appearances will be handled with the respect and consideration they deserve.