The Fantastic Four: First Steps keeps the buzz among fans alive as H.E.R.B.I.E. BTS image is revealed

The marketing for The Fantastic Four: First Steps is in full swing as the upcoming movie gears up for release on July 25, 2025. One of the characters from the movie that has already captured the imagination of fans is the robot H.E.R.B.I.E., which stands for Humanoid Experimental Robot B-Type Integrated Electronics. Now, a recent BTS image from the set of First Steps has fans hyped up.

They feel elated because, unlike the previous movies featuring Marvel's First Family, The Fantastic Four: First Steps seems to be using more practical sets. This aspect makes the movie different from the previous versions of the same characters on the big screen, as the previous movies used green screens. Moreover, the BTS image featuring a practical H.E.R.B.I.E. has fans hyped.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps' H.E.R.B.I.E. BTS image explained

On July 2, 2025, Marvel Studios released a new video that serves as a BTS featurette of the upcoming MCU movie. Everyone involved in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, including director Matt Shakman and Marvel Studios Head Kevin Feige, spoke about what went behind making the movie. The highlight of this footage, however, comes at the 1:06 mark.

In the scene playing out at the mark, we see Joseph Quinn's Johnny Storm/Human Torch and Ebon Moss-Bachrach's Ben Grimm/The Thing sharing a drink. Standing between them is a fully functional, practical H.E.R.B.I.E. robot. An Empire piece published on May 6, 2025, revealed how the cast and crew working on The Fantastic Four: First Steps were able to build H.E.R.B.I.E.

Alistair Williams, who worked as the SFX supervisor on First Steps, told Empire that sometimes H.E.R.B.I.E. was a wooden puppet that served as a stand-in, and sometimes the crew used an animatronic, which was controlled by four people:

“Our ‘prime’ one has fully moving head and arms. We’ve had him driving around the set, cleaning, picking up toys, serving Martinis…”

Then, director Matt Shakman added:

“He’s charming, he’s funny — but he also will break your heart. Which I hope is emblematic of the movie.”

The practical H.E.R.B.I.E. robot indicates the fact that the people who worked on First Steps have put more heart into the movie in comparison to the previous four movies featuring Marvel's First Family.

What is The Fantastic Four: First Steps about?

First Steps is special because it is the first Fantastic Four movie set in the MCU. Before this, every other movie featuring these characters was released by 20th Century Fox. However, Disney's purchase of 2th Century Fox meant that Marvel Studios and the MCU can use the X-Men and Fantastic Four characters without any issues.

Set in an alternate Earth, First Steps follows Reed, Sue, Ben, and Johnny's attempts to thwart Galactus's attempts to consume their planet. An overview, according to the official page of the film on the Marvel website, reads:

"Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel Studios’ 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' introduces Marvel’s First Family—Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Johnny Storm/Human Torch and Ben Grimm/The Thing as they face their most daunting challenge yet."