'Fantastic Four' Releases New Look at Unofficial Fifth Member
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors
Between the trailer and other promotional material for "The Fantastic Four: First Steps," we've gotten some good looks at most members of the team, but one little guy we could use a little more of is the team's unofficial fifth member, H.E.R.B.I.E. (Humanoid Experimental Robot, B-type, Integrated Electronics) the robot. Now Empire has provided us with a new look at him as he puts together a crib, presumably for Reed and Sue's baby.
New look at H.E.R.B.I.E. in THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS! pic.twitter.com/pJwYmAoK5M — MCU - The Direct (@MCU_Direct) May 6, 2025
Read More: Robert Downey Jr. Gives Blessing to Marvel Successor
According to "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" director Matt Shakman, H.E.R.B.I.E. deserves as much love and praise as anyone in the movie. "He's absolutely as important and as alive as any other member of the cast," Shakman said. "He's sometimes a slightly put-upon robot, but he is definitely a member of the family. He's just so charming and adorable."
(L-R): Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic and Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch in 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios' THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST...
(L-R): Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic and Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch in 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios' THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2025 MARVEL. More
Marvel Studios
Shakman also made it clear that H.E.R.B.I.E. is an important asset to Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal): "He is really Reed's right hand in the lab, capable of assisting him on any sort of experiment, always by his side, whether in New York City or out in space."
H.E.R.B.I.E. is not simply a CGI-rendered puppet, but was created largely from practical effects. The different versions of H.E.R.B.I.E. on set include an animatronic whose actions are controlled by four different people.
"Our 'prime' one has fully moving head and arms," SFX supervisor Alistair Williams told Empire. "We've had him driving around the set, cleaning, picking up toys, serving Martinis..."
CGI effects were added to H.E.R.B.I.E. later, along with a voice performance by Matthew Wood, best known for voicing the "Star Wars" villain General Grievous.
Like Harley Quinn, H.E.R.B.I.E. is the rare example of a character who was created outside the comic books first and proved too popular to be left out.
The robot first appeared in the animated series "The New Fantastic Four" in 1978, but rather than an "unofficial" fifth member, he was there as a replacement for the Human Torch.
Many fans continue to believe the urban myth that Human Torch was left out of the series because executives were afraid children would be inspired to set themselves on fire. In fact, the rights to the Human Torch had been optioned for a movie. The movie never happened, but regardless, the character couldn't appear in the cartoon.
More Comics:
Marvel's Ironheart - Everything We Know So Far
Blade Reboot Costume Designer Confirms Wildest Theory About Failed Film
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
'The Fantastic Four' makes us ask: Is it possible to give birth in space?
Spoiler alert! The following story contains major plot details about "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" (now in theaters). As Sue Storm, Vanessa Kirby gets to turn invisible and generate force fields to save the world from a cosmic giant. But in Marvel's "The Fantastic Four: First Steps," her most superheroic feat just might be giving birth in zero gravity. Midway through the film, a very pregnant Sue ventures into space with her husband Reed (Pedro Pascal), brother Johnny (Joseph Quinn) and friend Ben (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) to confront Galactus (voiced by Ralph Ineson) and his fierce mininon, the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). As luck would have it, she goes into labor just as Galactus threatens to destroy the Earth if they don't hand over their then-unborn son, Franklin. The superheroes run back to the ship, where Sue starts to have contractions. Between contractions, she uses her powers to make the vessel invisible to hide it from the villains. While Johnny is off trying to kill the Silver Surfer, Ben stands at the foot of her makeshift delivery table in order to catch the baby, and Reed holds his wife down so she has gravity to push. Whoa, baby! The real story behind the adorable star of 'Fantastic Four' While it's nowhere near as traumatic as Kirby's birth scene in her Oscar-nominated "Pieces of a Woman," it's still an incredibly intense moment as our heroes attempt to deliver the newborn in fraught circumstances. And according to experts, the movie's depiction of zero-gravity birth isn't far from the truth. "Labor and delivery is not dependent on gravity, so births would be expected to occur without gravity," says Dr. Hugh Taylor, chair of the department of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at Yale School of Medicine. Nonetheless, he adds, "there are many aspects to consider. Movement cannot be well controlled, and positioning may be difficult. Movement of the baby or maneuvering the baby to aid in delivery could set the mom moving rather than the baby. The mom would need to be held in place. Strapping down the mom and any healthcare providers would be necessary. Amniotic fluid, blood and other bodily fluids would fill the room rather than drain to the floor. On the brighter side, no one would ever have to worry about dropping the baby!" Taylor is not aware of any humans or animals that have actually been born in space. But if it was to occur, he says the biggest issues would be cosmic radiation, as well as a lack of resources to care for the infant after it's born. "The developing fetus is more sensitive to radiation and there may be a greater risk of pregnancy loss or problems in development," Taylor says. "There are not likely to be medical units to care for newborns in space. Without the advanced care such as NICUs, some babies would be in jeopardy. Normal development after birth is far more dependent on gravity; this would clearly affect the growth and development of the baby. I would be more worried about the baby than the delivery." In short, what you see in "The Fantastic Four" is "feasible, and could occur," Taylor continues. "However, I would not recommend it. It would not be optimal for the baby's health."
Gizmodo
2 hours ago
- Gizmodo
‘Foundation' Just Dropped a Huge, Terrifying Twist
Foundation is currently rolling out a third season stuffed full of dramatic resonance. We've always been fans of Demerzel, the ancient android played by the excellent Laura Birn, but season three has really elevated the character—even beyond that big season-two reveal that she's been moving the chess pieces on behalf of the galaxy-ruling Empire for generations. That was a monumental bit of information. But this week's episode, 'The Stress of Her Regard,' dropped a bombshell that's even more startling in the moment, and just gets more jaw-dropping as it sinks a callback to Foundation season one. But it also dovetails perfectly with Demerzel's season three arc, which has explored her increasing unease about the very near future. After Hari Seldon gave her the Prime Radiant in season two, Demerzel has been able to tap into his predictive 'psychohistory.' Over the past 150 years, she's consulted it so frequently she keeps it tucked inside her chest for easy accessibility. The Second Foundation and Empire both have use of a Prime Radiant, which means the two groups—who are ostensibly at odds—have the same means to glimpse the road ahead. As season three began, both realized there'd been a sudden, potentially cataclysmic shift in the timeline. Though they've long been preparing for an extended dark age that will kick off with the fall of Empire, Seldon's math now suggests the possible end of humankind itself. Soon! If the math holds, it'll happen in just a few months. Humans who are privy to this information deal with the impending doom in varying ways. But it's different for Demerzel. As we've seen in earlier episodes, she's facing a dilemma so grave she's sought out a confidante—a religious leader named Zephyr Vorellis—who agrees to have her memory wiped after each meeting, then restored when it's time to talk again. Demerzel's secrets are so intense she actually, for once, needs a sounding board to help her muddle through them. The big one is, of course, that she's a robot. She was a fierce general in the long-ago Robot Wars, then captured and held in stasis for centuries as the last of her kind. Then, she was reprogrammed by Cleon I to serve only Empire's interests and has been doing so alongside the genetic clones (all named Cleon) decanted in succession. That directive has manifested in different ways across Foundation's run so far; we've seen that Demerzel's programming removes her from having to obey the Three Laws of Robotics, as written by Foundation source-material author Isaac Asimov. In other words, she can and will kill humans. That includes any Cleons who step too far out of line. But the knowledge that Empire will fall and, even more recently, that humanity may end has sparked an existential crisis: who is Demerzel without Cleons to serve? And on an even larger scale, what is her objective if humanity ends and she's left to float through her eternal existence? As 'The Stress of Her Regard' begins, we get a whole new window into just how determined Demerzel has been to preserve Empire's rule—and just how important her hand has been in shaping not just the trajectory of the Cleons, but of the Foundation too. In Foundation season one, terrorists blow up the Star Bridge—a giant elevator designed to carry space travelers from their ships down to Trantor, Empire's home planet. It's a horrific act that kills millions. Hundreds of millions. In response, Empire showers devastating bombs upon the two worlds it deems responsible, causing nearly as much trauma in return. But as we learn in season three, while the responsible parties were indeed from the planets that were punished, they were acting on behalf of Demerzel. It's a secret she's been keeping for three centuries, and Vorellis, who's suitably shocked to hear the truth, wants to know why she did it. 'I have eyesight that far outstrips your own,' Demerzel reminds Vorellis. She's been playing a long game here. In season one, Empire was poised to execute Hari Seldon and banish his plan for the Foundation, which he had proposed as a way of shortening the length of the dark ages on the horizon. But Demerzel believed the Foundation would actually help Empire stay in power, at least in the short term. Since, as Demerzel explains to Vorellis, the Cleons respond to strong emotions rather than strong arguments—which Foundation has shown to be absolutely true—she had to do something to shift their thinking. Destroying the Star Bridge did the trick; they took Seldon's dire predictions more seriously, and agreed he could set up the Foundation on a far-flung planet. Cut to season three. Three hundred years later, Vorellis wonders if Demerzel feels regret over being a mass murderer. Demerzel—someone who operates strictly based on her programming, not her desires or emotions—did feel pain that day watching the destruction she'd caused. And because she's immortal, she'll be forced to remember that forever. But don't ask her if she has any regrets. 'The paradox is the thing that hurts,' Vorellis realizes. 'You said helping Foundation did not violate your programming in the near term, but in the long term Foundation is an enemy of Empire now, and you are partly responsible.' Vorellis, who represents Luminism, a faith Demerzel has been curious about in the past, suggests that maybe the robot is looking for a loophole to set herself free. She can't die and reincarnate as the religion teaches. But maybe… she has died, in her own way? Vorellis points out that there have been different versions of Demerzel throughout her existence. She's been reprogrammed more than once. Maybe there'd be a new Demerzel waiting to take over once Empire is gone? It's hard to tell what Demerzel makes of this idea, other than the fact that it distresses the hell out of her. She can't embrace the idea of existing without Empire, because she's wired completely around the idea of serving them. 'You are mistaking me for human,' she hisses, before tearing her skin and showing the freaky metal face beneath. 'I am not!' An understandably frightened Volleris dashes away, leaving the audience, and Demerzel herself, to contemplate the terror of losing her entire purpose, especially after all she's done to safeguard its existence. We're also left pondering the fact that she plotted the Star Bridge disaster—and wondering what else Demerzel might have done, or will do, to keep the status quo. New episodes of Foundation arrive Fridays on Apple TV+. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
Newsweek
2 hours ago
- Newsweek
'Spider-Man 4' Confirms Return of Fan-Favorite MCU Hero and Villain
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors Just days after it was announced that "Spider-Man 4," aka "Spider-Man: Brand New Day," was bringing Jon Bernthal in as the Punisher. The new Tom Holland-led film is officially bringing back a fan-favorite MCU hero and villain. More news: John Krasinski Announces "A Quiet Place 3' Release Date Per a report from The Hollywood Reporter, it is confirmed that the new "Spider-Man" sequel will bring back Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk. That isn't the only addition, as Michael Mando will also return to the fold to portray Scorpion. It will be interesting how the plot is set up, considering Spider-Man asked Doctor Strange to make everyone forget that Peter Parker is Spider-Man. This includes MJ, Ned, and presumably the rest of the heroes left in the MCU. Tom Holland as Spider-Man. Sony owns the rights to the Marvel character. Tom Holland as Spider-Man. Sony owns the rights to the Marvel character. Marvel More news: Disney Sets Date for Original 'Star Wars' 50th Anniversary Re-Release It would be believed that Spider-Man might have a run-in with Dr. Bruce Banner, and would hopefully not have to fight The Hulk in the process. "Spider-Man: No Way Home" was the last film that Holland appeared in as the Web Slinger and was easily the most brazen. Not only did Doctor Strange make an important appearance and memory wipe, but the comic-loving world got to see the return of Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin, Jamie Foxx as Electro, Alfred Molina as Doctor Octopus, but Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield reprised their roles as Peter Parker as well. Marvel has waited a long time to start putting together the next chapter in the Holland-led universe, and it is believed that this may be the final one. Holland has spoken publicly about his desire to move away from the role entirely. There have been plenty of rumors regarding Marvel potentially moving on to feature Miles Morales in the role of Spider-Man, but recent reports indicated that MCU leader Kevin Feige has instructed everyone to not touch Morales until the "Spider-Verse" movies wrap up. Morales has become a mainstay and fan-favorite fixture in comics as Spider-Man, becoming even more popular due to the Sony video games that feature him in a prominent role, and the previously mentioned "Spider-Verse" animated films. It would be great to see him emerge in live-action, but that is likely not to happen for a few years. Whatever the case may be, Marvel has hit home runs with the current Spider-Man films, and the same should be expected from the fourth entry that features Holland. "Spider-Man 4" is due out on July 31, 2026. For more movie news, head to Newsweek Movies.
