What Other Line Could Possibly Dethrone Legends?

[DarthOdette]

While chatting with some of y’all in the forums about how Toybiz overthrew McFalrane as top dog of the toy industry after their stint of hyper-detail and targeting adults for the first time, and it got me to thinking.

I think most of us would consider Hasbro’s Marvel Legends to be the prime brand when it comes to collectibles at retail.  Sure, SH Figuarts and other imports may have more articulation, Hot Toys and other 1/6th scale figures are going to have better likenesses and a heightened sense of realism, but for the price and availability, Legends are the top dog.  Not to mention, the line has one of the most devoted fan bases ever attributed to a toy line.  Even those who aren’t fans have to recognize that it is the darling among action figure collectors.  

You could easily compare them to McFarlane Toys at the height of their popularity, before toybiz took the throne (or any other instance of a massive toyline throughout history).  That means,  according to the patterns we’ve seen and pure common sense, that eventually, another line will come along and take that throne.

Now, I know we can’t predict the future or come up with toylines that don’t even exist, but I thought it’d be an interesting discussion to come up with what could be the next major line.  So the one rule is: the line must exist.  So what existing line do you think could take over as the action figure darling, taking into the account that the most likely successor would be a Line available at retail.

Thoughts?

[McHogan]

With a similar price range and realism I can see NECA having a shot at grabbing collectors attention. Although I recognize that horror and bloody action figures are not for everyone their recent Laurie Strode and Jason Voorhees are incredible. Plus they get on average 5-6 accessories per figure. 

Are we limited to 6-7 inch scale? I’ve recently picked up nearly all the Chicken Fried Toys Dime Novel Legends 3.75 action figures. Very quality items but I’ve heard of QC issues concerning breakage.

Hiya toys have high quality Aliens, Predator and DC Injustice figures but they are at a way higher price point for 3.75 figs

Bossfight Studios has lots of fun figures from different eras. Spartans, Knights, Gorgons, Elves, soon to be Zombies, The Phantom and Flash Gordon. 

DC Multiverse is too little too late. They introduced a lot of greats but the end result is pretty meh... the best recent which could compare to recent Legends quality  has been Jon Stewart, Nigthwing and Batman Beyond. Stand them next to recent legends and they are comparable but these are few and far between. In the same release as Jon Stewart the Wally West, Starfire, Beast Boy have bizarre features like large heads or hair and soft plastic. 

From past experience I think McFarlane toys could challenge with the DC license. Unless they insist on making statues instead of articulated figures. If they fully embrace their “action” figure roots I’d be willing to pat for yet another Superman. 

Mafex and S.H. Figuarts are great looking but too expensive, especially if they attempt the quantity that Legends is putting out. 

I don’t know, seems like Marvel Legends has a lock on their crown for the foreseeable future.

 

 

[michiganjfrog]

I cant see any other company beating out Hasbro at it , maybe if Hasbro took a big dip and another company came out with figures close to that size and prize

[DarthOdette]

1 hour ago, McHogan said:

Are we limited to 6-7 inch scale?

That’s a good question.  Do you think collectors would embrace a retail line to the same extent as legends if it were a smaller scale?

[DarthOdette]

53 minutes ago, michiganjfrog said:

I cant see any other company beating out Hasbro at it , maybe if Hasbro took a big dip and another company came out with figures close to that size and prize

Do you think one of their other lines could be strong enough to beat out legends?  Be it Star Wars, Overwatch, or power rangers?

[americamgl]

7 hours ago, DarthOdette said:

Do you think one of their other lines could be strong enough to beat out legends?  Be it Star Wars, Overwatch, or power rangers?

Some of the Star Wars are amazing, and the Power Ranger line is amazing but you can only make so many characters people want.

Plus the Marvel movies have pushed Marvel into another level of greatness and have made obscure characters into characters that we all love. E.g. Groot, Rocket Racoon, etc... Just my opinion.

[DarthOdette]

1 hour ago, americamgl said:

Some of the Star Wars are amazing, and the Power Ranger line is amazing but you can only make so many characters people want.

Plus the Marvel movies have pushed Marvel into another level of greatness and have made obscure characters into characters that we all love. E.g. Groot, Rocket Racoon, etc... Just my opinion.

Makes perfect sense to me, although I would say Star Wars is equal in how many figures you can make, simply because of the never ending plethora of background characters that people will buy

[leokearon]

1 hour ago, americamgl said:

Some of the Star Wars are amazing, and the Power Ranger line is amazing but you can only make so many characters people want.

Plus the Marvel movies have pushed Marvel into another level of greatness and have made obscure characters into characters that we all love. E.g. Groot, Rocket Racoon, etc... Just my opinion.

Both the Black Series and the new Lightning Collection are really good, but in terms of characters alone they are miles behind Marvel Legends

[DarthOdette]

11 hours ago, McHogan said:

With a similar price range and realism I can see NECA having a shot at grabbing collectors attention

NECA would probably have to grab even more licenses that appeal to the mainstream.  TMNT is great, but Aliens and Evil Dead and that sort of thing are probably too culty to explode to the level of legends.  Not to mention, NECA is a much smaller company than Hasbro  

[DarthOdette]

30 minutes ago, leokearon said:

Both the Black Series and the new Lightning Collection are really good, but in terms of characters alone they are miles behind Marvel Legends

I really need to pick up a lightning collection figure 

[greenlucario]

Honestly I don't think anything can touch Legends.  The quality is arguably matched by Lightning Collection and Black Series, but the depth of the Marvel Universe and MCU are what keep Legends going leagues ahead of the other lines.  And as much as I love what NECA is doing with TMNT, they can't touch the quantity put out by Hasbro on a yearly basis, or the amount of articulation.  

30 minutes ago, leokearon said:

Both the Black Series and the new Lightning Collection are really good, but in terms of characters alone they are miles behind Marvel Legends

I wouldn't exactly say that for Lightning collection's articulation.  In terms of depth of the line, yes, but not articulation.  If Nightcrawler or Spider-Man had the articulation of the recent White Ranger, they'd be the absolute best versions of those characters we've ever gotten.

[DarthOdette]

4 minutes ago, greenlucario said:

If Nightcrawler or Spider-Man had the articulation of the recent White Ranger, they'd be the absolute best versions of those characters we've ever gotten.

While I do think the new Nightcrawler is the best version we’ve ever had, I definitely don’t disagree about integrating lightning collection’s articulation into the rest of their lines.  

[leokearon]

6 minutes ago, greenlucario said:

Honestly I don't think anything can touch Legends.  The quality is arguably matched by Lightning Collection and Black Series, but the depth of the Marvel Universe and MCU are what keep Legends going leagues ahead of the other lines.  And as much as I love what NECA is doing with TMNT, they can't touch the quantity put out by Hasbro on a yearly basis, or the amount of articulation.  

I wouldn't exactly say that for Lightning collection's articulation.  In terms of depth of the line, yes, but not articulation.  If Nightcrawler or Spider-Man had the articulation of the recent White Ranger, they'd be the absolute best versions of those characters we've ever gotten.

Depth is what I was talking about, the amount of Marvel Legends figures is mind-boggling while Black Series is getting better it still isn't no way as near as Marvel legends. While the Lightning Collection is going the Black Series route by starting with 4 figures a wave.

[leokearon]

3 minutes ago, DarthOdette said:

While I do think the new Nightcrawler is the best version we’ve ever had, I definitely don’t disagree about integrating lightning collection’s articulation into the rest of their lines.  

The articulation with the lightning collection is really good, but I would prefer a proper waist joint than that weird Waist Crunch

[DarthOdette]

3 minutes ago, leokearon said:

Depth is what I was talking about, the amount of Marvel Legends figures is mind-boggling while Black Series is getting better it still isn't no way as near as Marvel legends. While the Lightning Collection is going the Black Series route by starting with 4 figures a wave.

In recent waves, black series have upped their count.  5 or 6 a wave with all brand new figures.  Maybe if lightning collection is a massive success, they’ll up their figure count per wave as well

[DarthOdette]

3 minutes ago, leokearon said:

The articulation with the lightning collection is really good, but I would prefer a proper waist joint than that weird Waist Crunch

I haven’t actually had a lightning collection figure in hand, but from photos I’ve seen I don’t mind it 

[leokearon]

Just now, DarthOdette said:

In recent waves, black series have upped their count.  5 or 6 a wave with all brand new figures.  Maybe if lightning collection is a massive success, they’ll up their figure count per wave as well

Fingers Crossed

[DarthOdette]

Just now, leokearon said:

Fingers Crossed

Although with the amount of money I’m dishing out, maybe I should uncross my fingers

[memocromatico]

I'm incredibly intrigued by the Lightning Collection now. 

I can't see anyone start to attempt taking the crown from Hasbro right now. I think McFarlane is starting to get the idea with their Fortnite figures, just like TB did back with their Spidey Classics... but it isn't anything new. It's not taking "McFarlane realism, articulated", it's just standard, albeit well made, modern action figures.

Maybe I lack creativity, but I can't imagine anyone coming up with anything new right now that could innovate and give them the market edge over ML right now.

[leokearon]

Just now, memocromatico said:

I'm incredibly intrigued by the Lightning Collection now. 

I can't see anyone start to attempt taking the crown from Hasbro right now. I think McFarlane is starting to get the idea with their Fortnite figures, just like TB did back with their Spidey Classics... but it isn't anything new. It's not taking "McFarlane realism, articulated", it's just standard, albeit well made, modern action figures.

Maybe I lack creativity, but I can't imagine anyone coming up with anything new right now that could innovate and give them the market edge over ML right now.

I got Lord Zedd and The SPD Shadow Ranger for my birthday from my brother. He thought they were really good, so he bought the White Ranger the next day

[DarthOdette]

33 minutes ago, memocromatico said:

I'm incredibly intrigued by the Lightning Collection now. 

I can't see anyone start to attempt taking the crown from Hasbro right now. I think McFarlane is starting to get the idea with their Fortnite figures, just like TB did back with their Spidey Classics... but it isn't anything new. It's not taking "McFarlane realism, articulated", it's just standard, albeit well made, modern action figures.

Maybe I lack creativity, but I can't imagine anyone coming up with anything new right now that could innovate and give them the market edge over ML right now.

I definitely don’t think that it’s a lack of creativity on your part. I think it mostly has to do with the current setup of the industry.  Aside from anything Hasbro is putting out there, there’s a major lack of anything that matches the quality of legends.  At retail, Hasbro’s biggest competition is themselves.  Transformers, Star Wars, Marvel, Power Rangers, and Overwatch.  Not many companies are doing what Hasbro is doing.  Really only NECA can compare, but their brands are much more of a cult following and aren’t as appealing to the mainstream. Look down the toy aisles and you can see that most other toys are cheap.  On the other hand, direct to consumer lines are pushing out even higher quality goods.  The problem is, only collectors buy them.  And they’re much more expensive.  So as you said, only lines like fortnite and maybe NECA are even competition between at retail at this point.  I mean, what else is there? Funko POPS! are big, but targeting a much different audience and price point 

[DarthOdette]

37 minutes ago, leokearon said:

I got Lord Zedd and The SPD Shadow Ranger for my birthday from my brother. He thought they were really good, so he bought the White Ranger the next day

That whole first wave really intrigues me.  That SPD dog head is so awesome 

[leokearon]

17 minutes ago, DarthOdette said:

That whole first wave really intrigues me.  That SPD dog head is so awesome 

It is a good wave. The only one I didn't get was the Red Dino Charge

[BradMan]

13 hours ago, McHogan said:

I’ve recently picked up nearly all the Chicken Fried Toys Dime Novel Legends 3.75 action figures. Very quality items but I’ve heard of QC issues concerning breakage.

 

Only tangentially related, but the breakage on Dime Novel Legends figures isn't a Quality Control issue.  The parts fit together with incredibly tight tolerances and people were using brute force to move factory tightened joints for the first time.  The creators put out a lot of info to advise people on how to loosen up the joints when they were fresh out of the package, and set up a replacement program for anyone who did break a figure.  

To me those aren't Quality Control issues the same way that sloppy paint apps, missing parts, or broken joints on a sealed figure have been seen from other Kickstarter lines and even mass-market lines.  

 

[DarthOdette]

57 minutes ago, leokearon said:

It is a good wave. The only one I didn't get was the Red Dino Charge

I’m not overly pumped for wave 2 oddly enough