2025 promises to be a jam-packed year for MCU content, though The Fantastic Four: First Steps remains one of the year's most highly anticipated releases. The reboot has been a long time coming and with WandaVision director Matt Shakman calling the shots, it feels like we're in store for something special.
We've known for a while that H.E.R.B.I.E. will feature in the movie as the adorable Highly Engineered Robot Built for Interdimensional Exploration was teased in the first promo poster.
Now, The Cosmic Circus brings word that British actor and puppeteer Jack Parker is bringing H.E.R.B.I.E. to life in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. He's previously played Pip in The Acolyte and Shrinker in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, and counts the likes of the live-action How to Train Your Dragon and Snow White among his upcoming credits.
It's unclear whether Parker will also voice H.E.R.B.I.E., though we'd imagine that won't be the case seeing as he specialises in puppetry (think of it like how Sean Gunn plays Rocket on set and Bradley Cooper voices him in the recording booth).
As you've probably figured out, this means the MCU's H.E.R.B.I.E. is going to be a practical puppet that, according to the site's source, "interacted in sequences with the First Family, similar to how Star Wars approaches its interactions with droids like C-3PO, R2-D2, and BB-8."
Shakman is reportedly looking to use as many practical effects as possible on The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The Fantasticar which somehow flew above the heads of attendees at Comic-Con this summer is "only a taste of what fans will experience next year."
The movie keeps sounding better and better, that's for sure, and while Marvel Studios likely plans to focus on hyping up Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts* for the remainder of 2024, we're hoping for a new look at Marvel's First Family soon.
Pedro Pascal (Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby (Sue Storm/Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn (Johnny Storm/Human Torch), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben Grimm/The Thing) will lead The Fantastic Four: First Steps cast.
We'll also see Ralph Ineson as Galactus, Julia Garner as Shalla-Bal/Silver Surfer, and Paul Walter Hauser, John Malkovich, and Natasha Lyonne in mystery roles. The story sees Galactus and Silver Surfer target Earth for destruction.
Director Matt Shakman worked with both Avatar: The Way of Water co-writer Josh Friedman and WandaVision's Cam Squires on The Fantastic Four: First Steps' screenplay, with Eric Pearson (Black Widow) later coming on board for a final polish.
The movie is set to be released in theaters on July 25, 2025.