One key character in The Fantastic Four: First Steps universe found its voice in sound editor and voice actor Matthew Wood.
In a new interview, director Matt Shakman revealed details about H.E.R.B.I.E., the robot created by Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards.
“He’s absolutely as important and as alive as any other member of the cast,” the filmmaker told Empire about H.E.R.B.I.E. “He’s sometimes a slightly put-upon robot, but he is definitely a member of the family. He’s just so charming and adorable.”
Shakman noted that H.E.R.B.I.E. is “Reed’s right hand in the lab, capable of assisting him on any sort of experiment, always by his side whether in New York City or out in space.”
“He’s charming, he’s funny — but he also will break your heart,” Shakman added. “Which I hope is emblematic of the movie.”
Wood’s voice acting roles include General Grievous in the Star Wars universe. His work in sound editing has been nominated for the Oscars in films like There Will Be Blood (2007), Wall-E (2008), Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi (2017), and Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker (2019).
The Fantastic Four: First Steps opens in theaters on July 25. The film also stars Vanessa Kirby (Sue Storm / Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn (Johnny Storm / Human Torch), Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben Grimm / The Thing), Ralph Ineson (Galactus), Julia Garner (Shalla-Bal / Silver Surfer), Paul Walter Hauser, John Malkovich, Natasha Lyonne, Sarah Niles, and more.