Fantastic Four’s Kate Mara Reflects On The ‘Messy Experience’ Of Making The Movie, But Also Shares One Bright Spot

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A few months back, the upcoming 2025 film lineup announced “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” to fans, marking the first official Marvel Cinematic Universe appearance for Marvel’s First Family. However, this wasn’t their debut on the big screen. In fact, Vanessa Kirby, who starred in that movie, represents the third significant portrayal of Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman following Jessica Alba and Kate Mara. The actress from the 2015 version of “Fantastic Four”, which received mixed reviews, recently shared her challenging journey making the film and one valuable lesson she learned from it.

What Did Kate Mara Say About Making Fantastic Four Being ‘Messy’ And The One Bright Side?

In 2015, it was unusual for a superhero movie to receive nearly unanimous negative reviews from critics and disappoint fans so much that it bombed at the box office. However, this is exactly what transpired with Josh Trank’s Fantastic Four. Despite being lackluster (at best), the final product emerged following a chaotic production period that was frequently highlighted in media reports, resulting in numerous rumors of off-screen drama on set.

In simpler terms, actress Kate Mara, recognized for roles in shows like “House of Cards” and movies including “Brokeback Mountain,” “Shooter,” and “The Martian,” was part of that particular project alongside her fellow actors Jamie Bell, Michael B. Jordan, Miles Teller, and Toby Kebbell. Previously, she discussed the filming of a well-known superhero scene and shared her feelings about it, including one thing she regrets from set. More recently, on the “Where Everybody Knows Your Name” podcast, she spoke with host Ted Danson about collaborating with Bell.

Jamie and I had been acquainted rather than close friends beforehand. But our collaboration on the Fantastic Four film proved to be an intriguing journey… it was certainly challenging, far from enjoyable. It was chaotic, quite a difficult experience, if I may say so. To put it simply, it was a messy production process.

Many individuals may relate to such work situations, as they are not exclusive to those in the entertainment industry alone. Upon joining a company, one might find that it is riddled with issues from top to bottom, and the individual tries to endure until their benefits become active so they can search for alternatives elsewhere. Fortunately, if luck favors them, they might form valuable friendships with like-minded colleagues, just as Mara did with Bell. She further explained…

In that platform, we became acquainted and it struck me, ‘Wow, he’s exceptional!’ I felt he was the top choice among all, and since he was single, I tried to connect him with many individuals. I couldn’t help but think, ‘Someone needs to pair him up. What a valuable catch! How is he not with someone extraordinary?’ I hadn’t realized that the person I was seeking for him was right before me. It took a year for me to finally understand this.

It’s less common for those with negative work experiences, but congratulations to Mara and Bell! As we move forward, it’s time to delve straight into their significant disclosure. Let’s proceed without further ado.

It seems like, due to our long-standing friendship, we had a deep understanding and comfort with each other. This familiarity felt like the essence of our relationship. Then, during the promotional tour for that film, we developed romantic feelings, likely through a process known as trauma bonding.

Working on Fantastic Four together didn’t quite provide enough shared experiences for the friendly actors to transition from being friends to dating, but going through the rigorous press tour together, likely filled with challenging media interviews and memories of filming that they were trying to leave behind, seemed to push them over the romantic threshold.

If you’re curious, Mara and Bell tied the knot in 2017 and now are parents to a young boy and girl. Given this, it’s no surprise that the actor has managed to find at least one significant advantage amidst the chaos of that “troublesome” film.

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2025-09-10 23:03