For an invisible woman, Jessica Alba is hard to miss in the current blitz of publicity for the new Fantastic Four film. David Grove went to see her (or not), to talk about life as the big screen's Sue Storm.

How does Rise of the Silver Surfer differ from the first FF film?

This film is much darker in tone. We still have the comic interplay, but the relationships are a lot more mature. Also, the theme of the movie is the end of the world, so it’s not fun and games anymore! It’s very intense.

Did that darker tone make it less fun to shoot this time round?

Oh no, we know each other so well, it was like we'd never been away. We don’t take any of this too seriously. You can’t wear these costumes every day and not have a sense of humour about it. We take our work seriously, but not that seriously.

How did you enjoy working with Doug Jones as the Silver Surfer?

He’s amazing. I hope the finished film shows what a great actor he is, instead of just paying attention to the visual effects, because so much of the character comes from Doug’s personality. He was there every day in his motion capture suit and he was amazing. We have a scene together where he gently puts his hand on me, and even though he was wearing the suit, his performance made me want to cry. That relationship is very deep in the film, and Doug really projected that with his body movements and facial expressions, which made my performance better, too.

Is there a romance between Sue and the Silver Surfer?

No, not a romantic relationship. But they have a deep connection. She’s drawn to his beauty and his sense of mystery, and she’s kind of mesmerized. But Sue’s heart is still with Reed, and she wants to marry him more than anything.

Sue’s the only one who really gets to know the Silver Surfer in the film, and she's the only human he feels he can really trust. She brings out his human side, and can see that he has a powerful reason for what he’s doing. She realizes that he's not just a monster.

What attracted you to the role of Sue?

She’s such a strong female character who has great powers and handles her responsibility with grace. She’s doesn’t let her powers or her fame go to her head, and she doesn’t use her sex appeal to get an advantage.

I also like the relationship between Sue and the other family members, which is more prominent in this film, especially the relationship between Reed and Sue, which is at its core. I hope my wedding is as lavish and as beautiful as theirs is!

How did you feel about the lukewarm critical reaction to the first movie?

I wasn’t surprised. I think we all learned a lot from the first film in terms of the effects and what the fans did and didn’t like, and we’ve changed a lot of things for the new film. The costumes are better, the characters are more developed, and we’re introducing Silver Surfer – which is the thing that the fans were demanding the most.

And what would you like to see in the next installment?

I would like the relationships to be even deeper. Maybe Reed and Sue could have children. I’d also love to see how the Silver Surfer evolves and interacts with the Fantastic Four. I know Tim Story is thinking of a number of different storylines, because there are so many different Marvel characters to draw from.

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer opens in the US and UK on 15 June. For a chance to win a Fantastic Four goodie bag, click here.