Hasbro Doing Marvel Legends At Least Through 2026

On 4/25/2025 at 6:35 AM, Jmacq1 said:

I do have to wonder if the current trade situation might have changed the calculus on all this. Like maybe Hasbro and/or Disney were considering parting ways, but tariff concerns might have caused other bidders to drop out (because it currently would be very expensive for them to spin up new lines).

Probably reading too much into it though. It's likely as simple as "Both companies have had a bumpy road the last few years, but this partnership isn't broken so don't try fixing it until it is."

In the case of Marvel in particular, shifting licensees now would likely mean that there wouldn't be (toy) merch on shelves for at least a couple films, as there's usually a "gap" between one license ending and the new one beginning, and I could see Disney not wanting that to happen.

Also as much as the MCU has had a very rocky last few years, the prospect of toys for the next two Avengers films was probably too big to pass on given thats probably the closest guaranteed moneymaker Marvel has put out since Deadpool & Wolverine.

On 4/25/2025 at 6:35 AM, Jmacq1 said:

In the case of Marvel in particular, shifting licensees now would likely mean that there wouldn't be (toy) merch on shelves for at least a couple films, as there's usually a "gap" between one license ending and the new one beginning, and I could see Disney not wanting that to happen.

Firstly as fan I'm happy to see Hasbro keeping the license. The day it changes and I have to start new again is the day I finally bow out. But honestly regarding the Marvel license I think Hasbro is in the midst of a massive identity crisis. They want the Marvel brand and the Marvel brand needs them because they are at the top of the game. But IMO I think in the last few years where the MCU and Disney+ product was sparse and they found themselves leaning more on comic based product they came to the realization that the comic product drummed up lot more excitement than the same old MCU characters over and over again and others with drab boring designs like Eternals and Shang Chi. Of course the movies bring in the interest from the general public but variety and cool design of comic figures push sales.

Let's just pick on the Shang Chi wave as an example. I mean really did we actually need a Xialing figure? Or an AI Tony Stark for that matter? Or would those spots have better served as classic comic characters with colorful, cool, eye catching designs? The entire wave seemed like a reach when they had more than enough inspiration to draw from. Who thought a bunch of boring plain looking people in robes that was the Eternals wave was a good idea? In this way Marvel is kind of falling in the Star Wars rutt. They are obligated to do movie figures of course but the designs and look are just so bland there are a limited amount of characters that would really qualify as viable desired figures. Honestly I think the only character that needed to have a figure in the Shang Chi set was Shang Chi and Wenwu. And even then Wenwu was pushing the boundary. Death Dealer was okay but it was just more or less a kit bash where the overlay destroyed 90 percent of the articulation. As far as design and cool factor wouldn't a Razorfist have been a better choice? Comic or movie. Did no one in the braintrust know enough of the source material to know that Colleen Wing could have been used for the female representation of the wave?

I think things like this have stunted Hasbro's faith in the movie/TV based figures. So much so they completely dropped the ball on capitalizing on the biggest MCU cash cow in years that was Wolverine & Deadpool. Only 3 figures of 2 characters out of a stacked and packed roster that everyone wants a piece of. It's such a shame. Of course they're doing a Blade figure so maybe they'll eventually get around to doing the rest of the crew and drag it out over the next couple of years like the did with NWH. I think what Hasbro wants to do with license and what Disney expects them to do with it are two different sides of the coin. There is just so much potential and so many different paths they could take but I believe are hamstringed by certain stipulations in the contract that Hasbro finds themselves having to honor before doing anything different.

While, I'm glad I don't ahve to start over. I really hope that Hasbro won't use this as an excuse for the recent complacency

I do have to wonder if the current trade situation might have changed the calculus on all this. Like maybe Hasbro and/or Disney were considering parting ways, but tariff concerns might have caused other bidders to drop out (because it currently would be very expensive for them to spin up new lines).

Probably reading too much into it though. It's likely as simple as "Both companies have had a bumpy road the last few years, but this partnership isn't broken so don't try fixing it until it is."

In the case of Marvel in particular, shifting licensees now would likely mean that there wouldn't be (toy) merch on shelves for at least a couple films, as there's usually a "gap" between one license ending and the new one beginning, and I could see Disney not wanting that to happen.

People I'm going to have to remind you that this is a Marvel forum so kept the subject about Marvel please.

On 4/24/2025 at 5:20 PM, Psychosomatic said:

You always have strong opinions - and I love that... even if I disagree with them sometimes. I have pretty damn strong opinions about Star Wars. Star Wars fans tend to be really precious about the whole thing as though everything that has been produced is pure greatness. I would argue that Disney didn't do anything worse to Star Wars than Lucas did himself. In the entire Star Wars Universe of films and TV, there are 3 great films (Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back, and Rogue One), 1 great series (Andor), and the rest of the films and series range from really good to fine. The prequels under Lucas are worse than any films under Disney. Even the series that ranged from good to fine didn't kill Star Wars, they just flooded the market and made Star Wars feel less special.

Dude we are almost on the same wavelength my guy. One thing though I really don't think the Prequels were that bad under Lucas. Sure JarJar was murder but the story behind Padme and all the cool Jedi and Sith lore was not that bad. And you have to admit the fight between Obi Wan and Anakin was pretty good. And the massive battle at the end if Clone Wars was exciting. Not on par with the originals but in retrospect not all that bad. Then The Force Awakens came out and even though it was a off the pace the Falcon was cool and the new characters had some promise. Then Rogue One came out and the future was looking pretty good. Then The Last Jedi came out and it was a straight nosedive from there. In the midst Disney+ started with mixed results. Mando started great but I don't care what anyone says as soon as he unmasked himself it was over. Then a bunch of other garbage came out and by the time Andor came out the franchise had left such a bad taste that no one tuned in. It's a darn shame it doesn't get more credit for as good as it is. All that to say there is a lot more bad than good and overall character design is beyond boring and within those factors the toy product suffers greatly without a doubt. Again that being said I can't imagine the property being in anyone else's hands but Hasbro at this point. They are the most capable company but they need to reel it in and get back to doing cool stuff that sells. Unfortunately they are handcuffed by the characters Disney creates which are unfortunately just bland and boring and uninspred. It would not have surprised me in the least if Hasbro allowed someone else to take the license but in all honesty I really don't think other companies are very interested based on the current source material they have to work with and Disney's oversight on the product they are expected to push. It is just so blaaaaaah.

I can't help but think about all the haters that said they were going to lose the license. The same people that are supposed to be in the know. Looking at you Bobby Vala! They were more or less wishing it would happen. Just goes to show these people are out of touch or just want to make click bait videos for views.

On 4/24/2025 at 11:08 AM, AndyL said:

As I said though I do pay attention to what many people are saying on social media. I do travel quite extensively and I do see certain products sell differently in different regions. That is certain. I'm not afraid by any means to let my opinion be known but if you ever see any of my posts I literally preface everything I say with IMO. I don't like to reside in my own little echo chamber where everyone is all parroting the same thing. I've never been one to let anyone sway my thinking. Example, I really don't care what people are saying about a movie. I will always go see it if it appeals to me. Then I will form my own opinion. But in the end my opinion often aligns with the general fandom. This is just the case with Star Wars. No not everyone believe SW is dead. And yes saying that outright is a bit hyperbolic but for the general part I would say the majority of the fandom thinks Disney has ruined the franchise. Also IMO I think it has the ability to make a major comeback under the right direction. Now I've never been to Wales but I do find in my travels around the country that most of the time it's all the same product on the shelves. I make it a point to go to every Ollies I can find in a particular area. Also Ross and TJ Maxx and similar stores. Sure there's the occasional diamond in the rough and sometimes there's a goldmine too but I'd say at least 80 percent of the time it's all pretty consistent. I make it a point to not just sit in my own little soup of my personal opinion but thanks to modern technology and social media it's a lot easier to get a worldwide pulse without having to leave the comfort of your own home or office. It's really not that hard. The same thing you see lingering on a store shelf you can easily get online to places like BBTS, EE, Gamestop and other and see it's often the same thing.

You always have strong opinions - and I love that... even if I disagree with them sometimes. I have pretty damn strong opinions about Star Wars. Star Wars fans tend to be really precious about the whole thing as though everything that has been produced is pure greatness. I would argue that Disney didn't do anything worse to Star Wars than Lucas did himself. In the entire Star Wars Universe of films and TV, there are 3 great films (Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back, and Rogue One), 1 great series (Andor), and the rest of the films and series range from really good to fine. The prequels under Lucas are worse than any films under Disney. Even the series that ranged from good to fine didn't kill Star Wars, they just flooded the market and made Star Wars feel less special.

On 4/24/2025 at 11:19 AM, watanabefan said:

Yes were all guilty of this to some degree, but its always worth pointing out just because something doesnt appeal to you personally doesnt mean nobody is interested.

Exactly my point! I would never buy a Venom figure, but they sell like crazy!

On 4/24/2025 at 1:30 PM, Jmacq1 said:

I think there are a lot of reasons the Sequel Trilogy didn't do that well with collectors. Setting aside opinions about the movies themselves, the designs simply weren't that interesting, up to and including the costume variations on the main characters. All three of the heroic leads get outfits that seem to just be variations of the same single outfit. Kylo's outfit barely changes (though that's less of a criticism, as Vader's changed even less between films in the OT). Everything either looks like slight, uninspired tweaks on the OT (with a couple exceptions where those tweaks work out well), or so bland as to be completely unmemorable.

I fully admit I'm heavily biased by my own opinions here but basically the sequel trilogy designs were boring, and Hasbro/Lucasfilm didn't do the toys any favors by seeming to focus on less interesting designs. Yeah, the movie didn't do great, but I'd still buy all the Knights of Ren...if they were available (just as an example). It felt very same-old same-old and it's particularly damning to me that the offshoot movies that took place during/near the original trilogy era (Rogue One and Solo) introduced more that felt new and interesting than the entire sequel trilogy. Same with the Mandalorian.

Anyway, Star Wars rant over. I'm glad Hasbro's holding onto the license, even though I suspect economic reality is going to force my collecting habit to diminish/get a whole lot more selective over the next few years.

Well said. Cool looking toys sell. When SW came out all the characters looked cool. The Jedi looked cool. The Sith looked cool. All the assorted Aliens and Droids looked cool. The problem is not necessarily because of the subpar movies themselves but they are a product of the movie. Where there once were cool and fantastical creatures and characters that fully took advantage of the unknown and endless probabilities of a Galaxy Far Far Away the franchise seems to have moved into the space of some grand soap opera more in the vein of and epic like LOTR rather than a great space adventure that was the heart of the first SW film. By the way LOTR toys didn't seem to be great sellers either. Once colorful and energetic characters with cool and dynamic designs have taken a seat to a bunch of Plain Janes and Everyday Joes in boring gowns and robes and formal attire and standard uniforms that could easily fade into the background static if the cameras weren't directly on their character signifying they have a major role. I remember when the mail away Emperor Palpatine was the cool figure because he was different with his dark hood and cloak. Now they're all pretty much the same. Robes, gowns uniforms. Gowns, robes and uniforms. Uniforms, gowns and robes. Boring and uninspired. It just is. Part of it is because what the movie industry has become. Now days all actors have to have their faces shown. They all need to be known and recognized. They all need to be validated. No more cool looking aliens in make up and costumes. No more Sith behind cool masks. No more anonymous bounty hunters in crazy gear. Sure some of those guys still make it into the movie but no one seems to make the cut when the line up for the products are lined up. Somehow it's really really important for the SW properties to have a face associated with the characters they portray and they all have to make their way front and center into the toy lines. Not picking on Rose Tico or the actor who portrayed her or the way she looked but was there anything more boring than a plain looking human looking back at you from the packaging of a toy that was supposed to be fun? It was just bland. Had they put her in cool armor and battle helmet or made her an alien or Cyborg it would have had much more appeal as a toy. Heck even give her an alternate head sculpt so the actor gets her do. Anyway whatever they're pushing just isn't working like it did back when the priority was to make cool looking toys.