Hasbro's Marvel License After 2020?

[SolidSnakeEyes]

6 hours ago, Benn said:

I'm just not sure what they're doing with the Black Series. Those figures are mostly great, but there's so much lost opportunity and so many dubious choices. I get that they need to dedicate spots to characters from the new movies, but it seems like there are a lot of classic characters still missing and a lot of weird filler characters slipping in. I'm sure Dr. Aphra is a great comic, but where are the Ewoks?

This is exactly what worries me about the whole situation. It’s like they’re pumping out easy kitbashes and repaints rather than dedicate to totally new stuff - specifically speaking of the droids and that Target exclusive Luke in Stormtrooper armor. It’s like they are just milking it while they still can.

HOWEVER, like half of ML figures are made exactly the same way, so maybe it’s nothing. And I also recognize that most SW figures use totally new parts, too. It’s just a recent observation with this new wave. 

[K9-K1N6]

Damn I'm on a huge mix of thoughts here and there, to begin with i didn't knew this was happening or that it might happen, now I'd like to think that Hasbro wouldn't give up on these licenses but time can prove me wrong and well because of that i for one wouldn't mind knowing who should hold the torch for 6" Marvel figures but at the same time i do worry about who tbh, i mean not Mattel that's for sure, NECA could kinda work i think and Mcfarlane toys I'm not so sure really. So yeah i am worried and not so worried at the same time which is weird to say but i am being honest on that answer.

[Foreverrgamer87]

i am sure they' ll work out some sort of deal. it would be a big loss

[Jmacq1]

13 hours ago, K9-K1N6 said:

Damn I'm on a huge mix of thoughts here and there, to begin with i didn't knew this was happening or that it might happen, now I'd like to think that Hasbro wouldn't give up on these licenses but time can prove me wrong and well because of that i for one wouldn't mind knowing who should hold the torch for 6" Marvel figures but at the same time i do worry about who tbh, i mean not Mattel that's for sure, NECA could kinda work i think and Mcfarlane toys I'm not so sure really. So yeah i am worried and not so worried at the same time which is weird to say but i am being honest on that answer.

Wouldn't be Hasbro giving up the licenses.  No way they're ever going to willingly let them go.

 

But Disney could choose to give the license to someone else.  The thing is, they're not going to give it to someone like NECA or even likely McFarlane (though after the last year or so McFarlane might be veering closer to an option...except they have the DC license and they probably won't want the same company doing both).  They'll want someone that's got a presence at all major retailers, which basically means Hasbro or Mattel, unless they give it to someone untested in the action figure department (I guess Playmates might be a dark horse option alongside McFarlane).

 

But there's probably nothing to worry about.  This isn't the first time this has happened, and every time we get speculation that they might lose the licenses, and every time (so far) they get renewed, usually a good bit in advance.  I speculate we might hear something around Octoberish of this year, and likely by Toy Fair 2020 at the latest.

 

All that said, I would not be COMPLETELY surprised if Hasbro lost the Star Wars license.  Partially as "punishment" for Hasbro not doing as well as hoped with the Sequel Trilogy product, and partially just to make sure Hasbro doesn't get complacent with whatever other license(s) they retain from Disney.

 

But I'd still rate it a long shot.

[A_Spidey_Fan]

While I suppose it is a cause for concern, especially with some of the Toy Licensing changes that have happened within the past 2 years(Power Rangers, DC Comics, etc.), I do believe Hasbro will keep the Marvel and Star Wars Licences.  Unless of course Disney decides they would rather shop it around to other companies, even more so if Mattel somehow gives them a load of cash for it.  I'm sure we'll know by SDCC the earliest, otherwise towards the end of the year.

 

With all the product coming out this year, it sort of reminds me of ToyBiz's final year in 2006 when a whole bunch of stuff was coming out(More Waves, Exclusives, 2 packs, Multpack Boxsets, other somewhat connected 6" comic book lines like Spider-man, X-men, Fantastic Four and I think maybe Hulk, Spider-man And Friends Preschool line, Other Marvel Legends branded stuff like 4" figures, 12" figures, Masterworks, etc.).  

[Atlantis]

On ‎1‎/‎25‎/‎2019 at 3:33 AM, Socialitekidd said:

Man, I don't even want to think about life with Hasbro making Marvel Legends figures. Devastation would be an understatement. I just got into the whole collecting ML trend for almost two years now. I have to admit that Hasbro does create some pretty cool figures. A few hit-or-miss figs but overall a pretty solid trend to be apart of. 

tHE Hasbro Marvel Legends is really the industry standard now for action figures. I've not seen anyone improve on, or really even match, what they're doing (that said you should really check out Mythic Legions; outstanding line from Four Horsemen) and you can bet if some other company picked up the series I would drop it like its hot.

[leokearon]

10 hours ago, Atlantis said:

tHE Hasbro Marvel Legends is really the industry standard now for action figures. I've not seen anyone improve on, or really even match, what they're doing (that said you should really check out Mythic Legions; outstanding line from Four Horsemen) and you can bet if some other company picked up the series I would drop it like its hot.

Same here, any 6 inch figure I get is compared to ML

[Jmacq1]

DCUC was pretty close to Marvel Legends for a while, but Marvel Legends were also pretty much in a "lull" in that timeframe.

If by some chance Hasbro loses the Marvel license whoever picks them up is going to have some extraordinarily big shoes to fill, and in my experience when that happens whoever picks up the license almost always drops the ball in some way (often by not making the new line(s) compatible with the old).

So it could end up a case of:  Hasbro loses license, somebody else gets it for 1-3 years and bungles it, Hasbro gets it back.

[leokearon]

2 hours ago, Jmacq1 said:

DCUC was pretty close to Marvel Legends for a while, but Marvel Legends were also pretty much in a "lull" in that timeframe.

If by some chance Hasbro loses the Marvel license whoever picks them up is going to have some extraordinarily big shoes to fill, and in my experience when that happens whoever picks up the license almost always drops the ball in some way (often by not making the new line(s) compatible with the old).

So it could end up a case of:  Hasbro loses license, somebody else gets it for 1-3 years and bungles it, Hasbro gets it back.

Would Hasbro want the licence back after losing it though?

[tarot]

29 minutes ago, leokearon said:

Would Hasbro want the licence back after losing it though?

Biggest movie franchise in the world. What do you think? Lol

[leokearon]

8 minutes ago, tarot said:

Biggest movie franchise in the world. What do you think? Lol

They already have the Star War license 😄

In all fairness, if something was to happen like Hasbro lost the licence and then got it back a couple of years later, how would Hasbro and the fans react, I doubt anyone would be really happy about it. Also you are going on the assumition that the Marvel Movies will still be big and popular in 3 years. Anything can happen.

[Jmacq1]

Star Wars license has been dropping like a rock in terms of profitability since even before Disney bought the franchise.  It's actually reached a point that it often doesn't get mentioned in investor calls unless there's a movie out/coming up, which is a far cry from where it was.

Marvel is by far Hasbro's bedrock in terms of licensed properties now.  Star Wars' fire has gone out of the market.  Maybe the new movie boosts it, but...possibly not enough to save it.

[michiganjfrog]

1 hour ago, Jmacq1 said:

Star Wars license has been dropping like a rock in terms of profitability since even before Disney bought the franchise.  It's actually reached a point that it often doesn't get mentioned in investor calls unless there's a movie out/coming up, which is a far cry from where it was.

Marvel is by far Hasbro's bedrock in terms of licensed properties now.  Star Wars' fire has gone out of the market.  Maybe the new movie boosts it, but...possibly not enough to save it.

yea that always bums me out thinking how that's changed, as a kid star wars was always #1 when it came to toys

[Benn]

2 hours ago, michiganjfrog said:

yea that always bums me out thinking how that's changed, as a kid star wars was always #1 when it came to toys

It's not like they're doing a bad job either. Black Series figures are still mostly killing it. Disney just overdid it with Star Wars movies, and a lot of people are over it. Honestly, if they just get another year or two out of the license, there won't really be many important characters left to do. If they could just fit in a few of the more interesting prequel Jedi and all the inquisitors from Rebels, I know I'd be set. Oh, and a temple guard, obviously.