While The Fantastic Four: First Steps was only a moderate hit wth $521 million worldwide, it succeeded in establishing the MCU's First Family and left fans eager to see more of the team.
That will be crucial heading into Avengers: Doomsday; after all, if it and Secret Wars manage to reach the same heights as Infinity War and Endgame, then the chances of a sequel to The Fantastic Four will increase significantly.
If a follow-up happens, then odds are the team will be brought into the new, post-Secret Wars timeline shared by the Avengers and X-Men (in the present day). What does that mean for H.E.R.B.I.E.? Well, we can probably expect a less retro design, for starters.
Time will tell on that front, but in this new concept art for The Fantastic Four: First Steps, we see some very early designs for the affable robot.
It's clear that Marvel Studios explored many different options for H.E.R.B.I.E., and these takes, by artist Joe Studzinski, offer an intriguing glimpse at what might have been. One even features very similar "eyes" to the version from the movie itself, showing how ideas evolve from the pre-production process.
"He’s absolutely as important and as alive as any other member of the cast," filmmaker Matt Shakman said of H.E.R.B.I.E. earlier this year. "He’s sometimes a slightly put-upon robot, but he is definitely a member of the family. He’s just so charming and adorable."
"He is really Reed’s right hand in the lab, capable of assisting him on any sort of experiment, always by his side," Shakman added, "whether in New York City or out in space."
You can see these alternate H.E.R.B.I.E. designs from The Fantastic Four: First Steps in the Instagram gallery below.
In our review of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, we concluded, "The Fantastic Four is an exceptional introduction to the MCU’s First Family, and thanks to a Jack Kirby-infused feel that’s unlike anything we’ve seen before, it proves to be a quintessential superhero movie with Marvel Studios at its brilliant best.
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 (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) and Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) as they face their most daunting challenge yet.
Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). And if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal.
Also appearing are Natasha Lyonne as Rachel Rozman, Paul Walter Hauser as Harvey Elder/Mole Man, Sarah Niles as Lynne Nichols, and Mark Gatiss as Ted Gilbert. John Malkovich was set to play Red Ghost, but was cut due to time constraints.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is directed by Matt Shakman from a screenplay by Josh Friedman and Eric Pearson and Jeff Kaplan & Ian Springer.
The movie is now available on Digital platforms, while its 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD release is set to follow on October 14.