ICYMI: ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Teaser Reveals The Family And H.E.R.B.I.E.

Look, while the main cast of The Fantastic Four: First Steps is smartly chosen and look great as the characters, we need to talk about H.E.R.B.I.E. The robot was originally created for the late 1970s Fantastic Four cartoon as a replacement for Johnny Storm as he was unavailable due to rights issues. He’s made appearances across the years to varying degrees of success and fan appreciation, but his moment in this trailer suggests he might finally become a truly beloved aspect of the concept and not just a weird footnote.

Or maybe that’s just me as I think his design update for the film looks incredible.

Although the plot of First Steps is still inscrutable, Marvel made it clear Galactus (Ralph Ineson) is the main threat while, possibly, John Malkovich‘s unnamed scruffy guy is filling a secondary villain role. Some believe the Mole Man will also appear in the film — is Malkovich his design update? Meanwhile, the preview also offers a further glimpse of this alternate world and its 1960s optimism, a vision we can all appreciate right now. Also: how about that Thing? The technology finally exists to make him look fairly accurate, expressive, and at home with the live action footage. That’s a truly impressive accomplishment considering how the other films never quite got Ben right. And Ebon Moss-Bachrach gives his voice a nice lived-in quality.

But this is just the beginning as The Fantastic Four: First Steps makes its flight to release on July 25th.