‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’: ‘Star Wars’ Veteran Matthew Wood to Voice H.E.R.B.I.E.!!

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is officially only a few months away, and the most anticipated MCU film of 2025 just got a major update. Empire Magazine unveiled a new image of H.E.R.B.I.E. in the film, and buried in the report was the news that the character will be voiced by Matthew Wood, famous for his work as General Grievous in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. The new image of H.E.R.B.I.E. can be found below. This confirmation debunks an extremely popular rumor that Natasha Lyonne would be the voice of H.E.R.B.I.E. in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. It remains unclear who Lyonne will play in the film, but she did recently make her animated MCU debut as Byrdie in What If…? Season 3.

The report also includes an interview with director Matt Shakman (WandaVision), who highlights H.E.R.B.I.E.’s importance to the team. He’s the perfect assistant to Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal) who can help out on the ground and in space, and he’s a beloved member of the team who is also there for dinner every Sunday at seven. In addition to Wood and Pascal, Vanessa Kirby will also star in The Fantastic Four: First Steps as Sue Storm, with Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear) and Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things) playing Ben Grimm and Johnny Storm, respectively. Ralph Ineson and Julia Garner will play the villains of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, with the former portraying Galactus and the latter his herald, Shalla-Bal’s Silver Surfer. Also cast in undisclosed roles in F4 are Paul Walter-Hauser, John Malkovich, and Sarah Niles.

When Will ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Be Released?

HERBIE in The Fantastic Four: First Steps — Image via Empire Magazine

The Fantastic Four: First Steps will be released exclusively in theaters on July 25, and it will be the final MCU film of 2025. It will also be the last MCU movie before Avengers: Doomsday, meaning there’s a chance the post-credit scene will directly tie into the 2026 Avengers film. Blade was originally supposed to be released this November between F4 and Avengers 5, but the Mahershala Ali-led film has been bludgeoned with production issues that have seen it removed from the release calendar altogether. All members of The Fantastic Four will appear in Doomsday and are also expected to star in Secret Wars.