According to the lore of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the 2025 movie’s super team debuted four years ago on this very day - August 8th. It’s an occasion worth celebrating, though if you ask me, every piece of director Matt Shakman’s recent Marvel movie is worth the hype. No matter who you are, I think we can all agree that the character of H.E.R.B.I.E is not only a marvel of retro-futuristic science, he’s also adorable.
I didn’t think there was a way he could be improved from his cinematic debut in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. However, leave it to Walt Disney Imagineering to prove me wrong thanks to his debut as part of everything new to Disneyland including a very practical improvement. What was once done with CGI has now been achieved with science and engineering, as this bot’s got the ability to actually roll around Anaheim’s entertainment destination like he did in First Steps! See for yourself:
As Executive R&D Imagineer Josh Gorin explained in the clip above, this Fantastic Four family member is fully able to roll around on a practical eight-inch sphere. What’s more, he has the ability to “measure his position, orientation, and movement 250 times a second.”
Once again, the WDI team has made something so seemingly simple possible, thanks to modern technology. This feels like an achievement on the level of Avengers Campus’ animatronic Spider-Man “stuntman,” as it helps bring the fantastical world of Marvel Studios to life.
Unfortunately, ol' Herbert is only going to be at Disneyland for the time being, as indicated in the video above. At the same time, the fact that he even exists gives me hope for a scenario shared by my colleague Dirk Libbey; in which a dream Fantastic Four overhaul of Tomorrowland could take place. If they can bring H.E.R.B.I.E into our world, what’s next?
A revamp of the Peoplemover where every car looks like one of those colorful mini-cars we saw in the end credits? A Test Track-style attraction, but with the Fantasticar? Maybe that fateful space mission that mutated Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Ben Grimm, and Johnny Storm can be recreated, a la the opening season “Rocket to the Moon” attraction Disneyland once held?
I know it's a bit much to think about when dialing back down to the fact that H.E.R.B.I.E. can "merely" roll in a theme park environment. However, that's exactly the sort of thing that Disney magic is built on. Something small can become an even greater achievement, with tomorrow always just a dream away.
My mind could spin the possibilities for hours, days even; which is partially thanks to having seen The Fantastic Four: First Steps three times. While we don’t know when the movie will be available for Disney+ subscription holders, we do know you can still catch it in a theater.
You're gonna need that experience under your belt if you truly expect to roll with H.E.R.B.I.E. in the real world. Trust me from personal experience, the more you listen to his dialogue, the better you can understand him!
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