Jessica Alba has starred in fan-favorite films like Never Been Kissed, the Sin City films, the Machete movies, and her upcoming starring action vehicle Trigger Warning. But few projects have impacted her and changed her life for the better as much as Marvel’s 2005 film Fantastic Four and its sequel Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007).
In a recent interview with CBM, Alba talked about the role and its repercussions in her personal life, 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 [producer Cash Warren], 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.”
Rumor has it we’ll see at least some of the mid-2000s Fantastic Four cast in Marvel Studios’ Multiverse Saga, with Chris Evans heavily rumored to reprise his role as the Human Torch. Ioan Gruffudd played Mister Fantastic and Michael Chiklis played The Thing in those films.
The MCU’s upcoming reinvented The Fantastic Four has hired Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards (aka Mr. Fantastic); Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm (aka the Invisible Woman); Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm (aka the Human Torch); and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm (aka the Thing). Julia Garner is set to play Shalla-Bal, a version of Silver Surfer; and Paul Walter Hauser has been cast in an undisclosed role.
Matt Shakman (WandaVision) is directing from a script by Eric Pearson, Josh Friedman, Jeff Kaplan, and Ian Springer. Peter Cameron (WandaVision) has also done some writing on the project. Production will begin this summer, with the film slated to hit theaters on July 25, 2025.
