If you are reading this, chances are you will run out and see Avengers: Endgame as soon as you can this week. It’s not a spoiler to say we think you’ll have a lot of fun, and want to relive the events of the movie over and over. Let’s say you want to buy some toys from the movie. What are your options? Several cheap $10 figures of the main heroes in their new team outfits, of course. But collectors know that Hasbro puts all the real movie accuracy into Marvel Legends figures. And this is where it gets weird. The Avengers Endgame Marvel Legends wave isn’t super movie-specific.
Part of the reason for this is secrecy. Even the folks at Hasbro don’t get told any kinds of spoilers. They have to base designs off of pre-production art provided to them and sometimes it’s off and requires correction. In the initial Infinity War toys, for example, Thanos was a much darker purple than his onscreen counterpart; this was adjusted for later product. Another factor is that comic-based figures are always part of each wave, as a way to re-use generic hero body parts that don’t have to look exactly like an actor.
You may notice, for example, that Captain America’s team outfit is a darker gray than the suits seen in the trailer, which are more white. It’s probably from an earlier color scheme. Ronin, a.k.a. Hawkeye, doesn’t come with an unmasked look, which may be due to last-minute doubt regarding Jeremy Renner’s hairstyle. There will be a Renner head available later on as part of a team uniform two-pack. Meanwhile, there’s a hood that keeps falling off, and an extra hand with ninja star throwing action. The jacket restricts most torso movement, but his legs are loose and flexible.
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Ebony Maw is a hold-over from the last film, and because he was so often levitating, you might not have realized just how much taller he is than the typical human. His long, thin limbs allow for devious villain poses.
To complete the Black Order, a two-pack of Corvus Glaive with Loki is available separately. Like the Hawkeye/Black Widow team uniform two-pack, it was not part of the review sample package. Also not included was the seventh figure in the wave, Living Laser, which leaves me lacking the final torso build-a-figure piece to make movie Thanos. He looks good apart from that.
Okay, technically the gauntlet isn’t movie accurate, because when Thanos wore this armor at the beginning of Infinity War, he didn’t have all the stones yet, and this one does. Minor detail. Most people would probably rather display the Mad Titan at maximum power.
Hercules is the most impressive of the non-movie figures in the line, using bulky, powerful upper torso parts. He’s presumably included here both because he’s rumored to be the main character in The Eternals movie. The figure includes two sets of hands (fist and weapon-holding), and sheaths for his sword and club.
Citizen V adorns a generic spandex body with enough costume flourishes to make him stand out. We haven’t seen this guy in the movies yet, but Helmut Zemo is still alive. And it’d be nice to see him get closer to the comics than the weaselly manipulator we saw in Civil War.
Nighthawk is a character I just hate the design of. Hate it. It’s everything bad about comic book costumes in one character. That said, the figure is accurate enough.
As with Infinity War last year, we’ll probably have to wait for a second wave to really get into some new screen-accurate designs. Having caught the movie at an advance screening, I can think of a new character/look or two you’ll be wanting to have in plastic before the week’s out.
Which is your favorite so far? Tell us in comments below.
