For actors, superhero roles typically come around once in a lifetime. Performers usually sign on to such roles for years, which means that, by the time a part opens up again, the actors that were once in consideration for it have been aged out of it. With that, there are only a handful of actors who are given the opportunity to try out for the same comic book role twice, years apart. Among that prestigious group of people is Margot Robbie.
Most comic book nerds associate Robbie with her portrayal of Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad, Birds of Prey and The Suicide Squad. However, the actress was also up for one of Marvel's most important characters: The Fantastic Four's Sue Storm. In 2013, casting for Josh Trank's ill-fated Fantastic 4 was underway, with multiple actors and actresses being considered for Marvel's First Family. Margot Robbie was reported to be one of the top candidates for the part, alongside Kate Mara, Emmy Rossum (Shameless) and Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird). Ultimately, the role went to Mara.
Later on, in a 2015 interview with New York Daily News, Robbie spoke about her experience trying out for Fantastic Four: "I didn't really resonate with the script, and I haven't seen the movie, so I don't really know how it turned out different from the page. But I had a great meeting with the director [Josh Trank] and I really enjoyed that. I guess it's part of the game: Sometime you win some, sometimes you lose some."
After 2015, Margot Robbie experienced a significant surge in popularity. Despite 2016's Suicide Squad being a critical disapointment, its strong financial outcome made Robbie an even more mainstream actress. Her star continued to rise with films like I, Tonya, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Bombshell, and, of course, 2023's Barbie. Following all of that, the role of Sue Storm would (reportedly) come knocking on her door once again.
Marvel Studios' The Fantastic Four: First Steps
When Marvel Studios announced it was developing a Fantastic Four reboot, the one thing about the film pretty much everyone and their cats were talking about was the casting—who would bring Marvel's First Family to life? Multiple names floated around for months, including Adam Driver, Paul Mescal and, surprisingly enough, Margot Robbie.
In May 2023, scooper Daniel Richtman stated that Margot Robbie had been offered the role by Marvel Studios, something that also-scooper @MyTimeToShineHello backed up. That same May, scooper @MyTimeToShineHello even went as far as to state the Fantastic Four cast had been locked in, with Robbie as Sue, Driver as Reed, Paul Mescal as Johnny and Daveed Diggs as The Thing.
The chatter was so strong that even fan art of the actress as Sue was created. In June, however, it was claimed by scooper @TheComixKid that Robbie was out of the running to join Marvel's First Family. Though nothing was ever confirmed, the chatter surrounding the actress' potential involvement in the film was quite prominent, enough that there did seem to be some weight to the rumors.
With that, it's curious to think that Robbie has been reportedly considered for two big-screen reboots of the Fantastic Four IP. Vanessa Kirby did an amazing job as the character in First Steps, and she will hopefully stay on in the role for many years to come. Having said, it would have been interesting to see what Margot Robbie could have brought to the part.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps will arrive on Disney+ on November 5, 2025.
Would you have liked to see Margot Robbie as Sue Storm in the MCU? Drop your thoughts in the comments.