“So, you’re familiar with two sins. How about a third?” Okay, that particular “Community” quote is a bit of an ominous way to start an article, but it also felt less hacky than writing “Third time’s the charm?” Indeed, Marvel is now in the process of bringing its first family back to the big screen with “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” which marks the Four’s third live-action iteration after Fox and director Tim Story’s two “Fantastic Four” films and the studio’s Josh Trank-helmed disaster “FANT4STIC” aka “Fantastic Four” 2015. (Fine, fine, technically it’s the fourth when you include Oley Sassone’s unreleased “The Fantastic Four”.) The bar being as low as it is after the previous entries in the franchise, that puts just a tad less pressure on “First Steps” director Matt Shakman as the “WandaVision” veteran prepares to introduce Mister Fantastic and the rest of the gang to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Still, the film’s eyebrow-raising subtitle aside, what does “First Steps” have to offer that previous “Fantastic Four” films did not? I’m glad that I just implied you asked! In addition to its groovy 1960s setting, the movie features everyone’s favorite adopted daddy Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic opposite Vanessa Kirby (who’s, you know, Vanessa friggin’ Kirby) as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, “Stranger Things” and “A Quiet Place: Day One” sensation Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Cousin Richie himself aka Ebon Moss-Bacharach as Ben Grimm/The Thing. However, in addition to a killer cast rounded out by Julia Garner as Shalla-Bal/Silver Surfer and Ralph Ineson as Galactus, the film will also feature the Four’s robotic companion Humanoid Experimental Robot, B-type, Integrated Electronics, or H.E.R.B.I.E. for short.
Now, thanks to journalist Brandon Davis, we have our first proper look at H.E.R.B.I.E. in “First Steps,” as seen in some photos of the official Marvel mural at the 2024 New York Comic Con. Check it out:
New Marvel logo with Fantastic Four, Red Hulk, Thunderbolts*, and more on it at NYCC! pic.twitter.com/cpGdfpKiJd
— Brandon Davis (@BrandonDavisBD) October 17, 2024
H.E.R.B.I.E. the robot is coming to the MCU
The MCU might be going back in time to the ’60s, but H.E.R.B.I.E. himself actually originated in the ’70s NBC animated series “The New Fantastic Four.” A replacement for the Human Torch, who wasn’t allowed to be featured in the cartoon due to Universal Studios wanting to give the character his own solo film at the time (something the Incredible Hulk can no doubt relate to), the robot made his debut in the Marvel comic book universe in “Fantastic Four” Vol. 1 #209 in 1979. We previously got a glimpse at H.E.R.B.I.E.’s design for the MCU thanks to the official “First Steps” cast artwork (seen above), but it’s good to have some confirmation that the character will have the same amiable appearance in the actual film.
As for his personality? Well, as terrifying-looking as this cuddly version of H.E.R.B.I.E. might be for someone with an extreme case of robophobia, the odds are good the MCU’s take on the character will be the same cute, friendly flying robot he’s typically depicted as being (though he sort of pulled a heel turn in Marvel’s comics once when a devious evil-doer took control of him). Far from a glorified can opener with some added bells and whistles, H.E.R.B.I.E. is, per Marvel, “a fully functioning analog computer and assists the Fantastic Four in their quest to protect Earth.” Sure, sure, the MCU has seen its share of evil robots in the past, but don’t let the likes of Ultron (who’s also coming back to the MCU somehow) prejudice you against this little guy. H.E.R.B.I.E.’s a good egg most of the time.
We’ll see what H.E.R.B.I.E. brings to the table when “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” hits theaters on July 25, 2025.
This post was originally published on here
