Former Marvel star "confirms" they won't be returning in the MCU after all

The beauty of Marvel Studios' Multiverse Saga is that quite literally anything can happen when it comes to cameos and returns. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has never been more full of possibility and that's been clear through movies such as Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and the upcoming Deadpool and Wolverine, which are built on returns of some fan-favorite classic Marvel stars.

There are expected to be a lot more cameos and returns on the road to Avengers 5 and Avengers: Secret Wars. That said, it sounds like one classic Marvel return that fans had been speculating on might not happen after all.

Jessica Alba reveals nobody has talked to her about a Sue Storm comeback

Jessica Alba recently took part in a video interview for Entertainment Tonight to promote her new Netflix movie Trigger Warning and she reflected on some of her most famous roles to date. That, of course, included Sue Storm, a.k.a. The Invisible Woman in Fox's Fantastic Four franchise. The actress had nothing but praise for that role and how it impacted her career.

Interestingly, she was asked about whether there had ever been a discussion to bring the character back at some point. She revealed that no one has talked to her about it, but added that she would "jump at the chance" if it came up.

"No one's talked to me about it, but I would jump at the chance... I loved that character and I felt like she was so unique in the Marvel universe at the time, you know, there weren't a ton of female superheroes like her."

- Jessica Alba

Alba portrayed Sue Storm in the 2005 Fantastic Four movie and its 2007 sequel Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. A third film had been planned but after the second slightly underperformed, it was cancelled. An inevitable 2015 reboot with a new cast outright flopped and has since been regarded as one of the worst superhero movies ever made. Now, Marvel Studios looks to make things right with its own attempt at the Fantastic Four in a 2026 film.

In any normal era, Alba's comments about not being asked to return wouldn't be too shocking considering the Fox Fantastic Four movies aren't canon to the MCU (and, again, a reboot is in the works), but given that this is the Multiverse Saga, there has been discussions about bringing characters from previous Marvel movie franchises back for cameos (or even leading roles). We've seen it already with the return of Patrick Stewart as Professor X in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire's Spider-Men in Spider-Man: No Way Home, and we'll see it again with Hugh Jackman's return as Wolverine in Deadpool and Wolverine. And there are rumors that claim other characters could resurface in the saga at some point, too.

The Fantastic Four cast hasn't been immune to these rumors, either, with suggestions that Alba's co-star Chris Evans, who played Johnny Storm, a.k.a. the Human Torch, in the two movies could reprise his role in Deadpool and Wolverine. That wouldn't be too much of a stretch to believe considering Evans is a staple of the Marvel Studios franchise, having played Captain America in it. So on that front, a return in his previous role would be possible. Whether it actually happens or not remains to be seen.

The thing is that Alba's statement in this new video completely negates a recent rumor that suggested a Sue Storm return could have been on the cards for her.

Alba's comments may have debunked those MCU return rumors

What is interesting is that Alba's comments appear to debunk a recent rumor that claimed she would return to the role of Sue Storm in Avengers: Secret Wars. The character's name had come up in multiple rumors in recent months, particularly for Deadpool and Wolverine, but a more recent report claimed she would be one of the many faces that will inevitably surprise us with a huge multiversal appearance in the film that is expected to bring the Multiverse Saga to a close.

Now, of course, it's still entirely possible that this could happen. Avengers: Secret Wars is a long way off and Alba certainly wouldn't reveal any kind of collaboration with Marvel Studios this early on, so it wouldn't be too surprising if she took her cues from Andrew Garfield and just outright denied any future involvement in Marvel properties to maintain the element of surprise for fans. But then again, since the movie is still rather far off, maybe she just hasn't been asked yet. That doesn't necessarily mean she won't be.

Avengers: Secret Wars will undoubtedly feature a multitude of cameos and returns, both from the MCU and its Multiverse Saga, and the previous Marvel movies from Sony and Fox. Disney's acquisition of Fox has already presented Marvel Studios with plenty of opportunities for crossover and you would think that they would want to ensure they continue to surprise fans in the culmination of the saga. For that reason, I definitely wouldn't rule out a return from Alba or any of the Fantastic Four cast members in the future.

For now, though, it's best to keep your mind open and your expectations low; that way, when the surprises come, we can be genuinely surprised.