TheFantastic Fourare taking their ‘first steps’ into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. AsWandaVision’s Matt Shankman prepares to bring the self-declared Marvel’s first family to the screen, fans are hoping for something better than their previous box office outings.The Fantastic Four: First Stepsis on the way in 2025, and in addition to introducing the titular heroes, a host of famous faces are joining the MCU.
Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach are playing The Fantastic Four. The impressive cast list also includes the Silver Surfer, Galactus, andRobert Downey Jr.’s much-hyped Doctor Doom. If that wasn’t enough, there are also expected appearances from Mole Man and H.E.R.B.I.E. The latter is a longstanding ally of The Fantastic Four, but with H.E.R.B.I.E. having a colorful comic book history, could Shankman be hiding one of those signature MCU villain twists in plain sight?
Who is The Fantastic Four’s H.E.R.B.I.E.?
Introduced in a 1978 episode ofThe New Fantastic Fouranimated series, H.E.R.B.I.E. stands for Humanoid Experimental Robot, B-Type, Integrated Electronics, and is the team’s robotic sidekick. H.E.R.B.I.E. was effectively areplacement for the Human Torch, who, at the time, had been optioned out for a solo movie (which never materialized). After proving popular among fans, H.E.R.B.I.E. was added to the comics for 1979’sFantastic Four#209.
H.E.R.B.I.E. was created by Mr. Fantastic and the little-known Master Xar, who crafted the robot to help them search for Galactus and hopefully defeat a villain called the Sphinx. There have been various H.E.R.B.I.E. robots over the years, while variants have included H.U.B.E.R.T. as Franklin Richards' babysitter, and S.H.E.R.B.I.E. as a S.H.I.E.L.D. recruit. There’s no word on who’s playing H.E.R.B.I.E. inFirst Steps, although fans have made it clear theydon’t want Ricky Gervais to be cast.
The first promo art forThe Fantastic Four: First Stepsshowed off H.E.R.B.I.E. alongside the team, leading to speculation that he’d have a part to play in the movie. This was then teased byThe Directgetting a ‘first look’ at H.E.R.B.I.E. in a new Marvel Studios logo shown at New York Comic-Con. There’s plenty of excitement considering this would be H.E.R.B.I.E.’s first live-action debut, since the character was cut from Tim Story’sFantastic Fourfrom 2005. However, he becomes even more interesting considering his potential as a villain.
Could The Fantastic Four’s H.E.R.B.I.E. be a Secret Villain?
A warning that we shouldn’t trust technology:H.E.R.B.I.E. has actually had two villainous turns in the comics.When Reed and Master Xar first created the little robot, they didn’t realize the consciousness of the Xandarian enemy called Doctor Sun had transferred himself into H.E.R.B.I.E.’s body. After killing an alien pirate and helping Blastaar escape the Negative Zone, Doctor Sun revealed himself and then switched to the main computer of theBaxter Building. A heroic H.E.R.B.I.E. (now himself again) couldn’t live with what he’d done, and sacrificed himself to kill Doctor Sun.
This all seems a bit convoluted for a movie that already has to develop the four leads and give them an origin. But on the other hand, the inclusion of Ralph Ineson’s Galactus and the potentialdebut of Franklin Richardscould tease H.E.R.B.I.E.’s real reason for being in the movie. H.E.R.B.I.E. plays a crucial part in 2018’s comic storyMoon Girl And Devil Dinosaur.After Reed Richards and Sue Storm vanished followingSecret Wars, H.E.R.B.I.E. was handed over to Moon Girl, mysteriously activating when Galactus turned up.
Pulling an Uno reverse card, H.E.R.B.I.E. revealed that instead of being a robot created for tracking down Galactus, he’d actually been a sleeper agent for the Devourer of Worlds this entire time and had been feeding him information. Having H.E.R.B.I.E. as the adorable sidekick akin toGuardians of the Galaxy’s Baby Groot, only to have him turn bad and lead Galactus to The Fantastic Four, could be up there with one ofMarvel’s best twists.
What Role Will Herbie Play In The Upcoming Movie?
Natasha Lyonne has been castin an undisclosed role forThe Fantastic Four: First Steps, with plenty calling for her to play H.E.R.B.I.E. There was a comedic moment in the comics where H.E.R.B.I.E. broke his inhibitor chip and went on a rant against Reed and Sue. Lyonne’s past roles suggest that she’d be perfect for a similar foul-mouthed rant. Whoever is playing H.E.R.B.I.E., Disney is sure to make a fortune off merchandise when marketing him.
The Fantastic Four: First Stepsis cramming a lot into its runtime, so it’s unlikely that H.E.R.B.I.E. will have much of a role. Still, in terms of setting him up for the future of the MCU, the idea of a comedic sentient robot seems apt for a world that’s currently in the grips of Elon Musk’s Tesla Optimus robots and ChatGPT. H.E.R.B.I.E. more recently joined the A.I. Army alongside the likes of Awesome Android and a Nick Fury LMD, but it would be easy to slot him into something like Riri Williams' (Dominique Thorne) or Don Cheadle’sArmor Wars,if it ever actually happens.
The MCU has proved time and again that it knows how to handle comedic side characters. Even thoughThe Fantastic Four: First Stepsis a standalone story, nailing the casting of H.E.R.B.I.E. could make him a fan-favorite of the wider franchise. Whether the writers will take a cue from the comics and make H.E.R.B.I.E. Galactus' secret weapon hiding within the ranks of The Fantastic Four remains to be seen. But either way, he’s part of the family…for now.
