Jessica Alba Opens Up About Her Most Uncomfortable Movie Scene
Jessica Alba reflects on the challenging 'naked scene' from Fantastic Four, describing it as deeply embarrassing due to her modest background. Despite this, she remains proud of her role as Susan Storm, a rare female superhero at the time.
Jessica Alba has never been a favorite among critics, and her films rarely make a splash on Rotten Tomatoes. She’s been nominated for Razzies far more often than any major awards, and while she’s never received an Oscar nod, she’s still managed to leave her mark in Hollywood. Her collaborations with Robert Rodriguez have often been well-received, but it ’s her portrayal of Susan Storm, also known as The Invisible Woman, in the first big-screen adaptation of The Fantastic Four that stands out as one of her most iconic roles. Aside from the obscure 1990s version, Alba helped bring Marvel ’s first family to life, cementing her place in comic book movie history. Even though the films and their sequel have their critics, they serve as a nostalgic reminder of superhero movies before the Marvel Cinematic Universe took over, and the sequel, Rise of the Silver Surfer, even features one of Stan Lee’s most memorable cameos.
At the Red Sea Film Festival in 2025, Alba revisited a moment from Fantastic Four that still lingers in her memory—the infamous scene where her character loses her invisibility and is left exposed in public.
“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.”
The experience was especially tough for Alba, who was raised with strong values and found the scene deeply uncomfortable to film.
Struggles With On-Screen Image
This wasn’t the only time Alba felt uneasy about her on-screen image. She has also spoken about her discomfort during the filming of Into the Blue, a movie that required her to spend most of her time in a bikini. During the mid-2000s, Alba was widely regarded as a sex symbol, and studios often capitalized on that image. Scenes like these were common in that era, reflecting the entertainment industry’s approach to female stars at the time.
Despite the embarrassment and frustration, Alba has fond memories of playing Susan Storm. She described the character as
“a woman I looked up to,”
which might seem surprising given the challenges she faced. But it’s important to remember how rare it was to see women in superhero roles back then. Aside from a few exceptions like Jean Grey in the X-Men series and the ill-fated Elektra movie, female superheroes were almost nonexistent on the big screen. That’s why moments like the one Alba described felt so disappointing.
Looking Back and Ahead
With Marvel’s first family set to return to theaters in 2025, there’s speculation about whether Alba might reprise her role in some capacity. Chris Evans recently made a comeback as the Human Torch in Deadpool & Wolverine, so the door could be open for her as well. If she does return, fans hope she’ll be given the respect and treatment she deserves this time around.