He is Kenough! And, honestly, even though Barbie is everything and he’s just Ken, the new “I am Kenough” Ken Doll is also kind of everything. We’re sure even Barbie would agree. We’re just surprised it took this long for him to arrive. But, yes, is the answer to the question you’ve all been asking since the Barbie movie was released. There is an “I am Kenough” Ken doll you can buy, complete with hoodie, Ryan Gosling’s face, and swoopy blonde hair. This new Ken doll has discovered himself, self-actualized, and is now available for pre-order. You’ll have to wait a while longer for him to actually reach you, but he’s worth it.

The Kenough Ken doll is truly inspired. Of course, it was a given that the Barbie movie would have a very meta-arc of being motivated by the story of a doll and then creating more of the doll that created it. But we can’t even be mad at this circle of capitalism when this new Ken doll has a perfectly designed miniature replica of Ken’s Kenough sweater. We have to take our joy where we can get it.

A release from Mattel shares more about this “I am Kenough” Ken Doll. It notes of the Barbie movie figure:

He was complete and worthy just as he was. He was perfectly molded, deserving of both admiration and success. He was more than enough in Barbie Land – he was, in fact, “Kenough.” Thanks to Ryan Gosling’s performance of Ken’s self-discovery in Barbie The Movie, this moment inspired millions around the world and became immediately iconic. Our Ken doll is sculpted in Ryan Gosling’s likeness, and wears the hoodie that is also the must-have, real-life apparel item of the year.

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You can take a look at all facets of the “I am Kenough” Ken doll above. While, of course, the hoodie makes the man, there’s a lot more happening for this Ken than that. Firstly, it has a face sculpted in Ryan Gosling’s likeness. And who can resist that? Secondly, we love that this Ken is fully poseable, so he can do his famous end-of-movie wave and sheepishly tuck his hands into his pockets. The embroidery that lives not only on the Kenough sweater but also on this doll’s sweatpants is also pretty cool. We have to hand it to this Ken; he looks pretty good. It’s definitely Kenough for us.

So how do you buy the “I am Kenough” Ken doll? Well, the figure is available to pre-order via Mattel Creations right now. He will be a made-to-order product. “I am Kenough” Ken will ship out sometime in 2024, but the doll will definitely head to you on or before October 31, 2024. This Ken costs $50.00. But being Kenough, that’s truly priceless. Don’t forget, you can also match your doll with a hoodie of your own.

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Freaky and fabulous? Now you’re speaking our language. And that’s exactly why we love the Monster High Skullector series from Mattel. It reimagines horror icons through the lens of Monster High’s boospoke fashions and style. The Monster High Skullector series has brought us incredible fashion-forward dolls of horror legends like Elvira, Annabelle, Chucky, and Tiffany, and now two more will join their ranks. Just in time for this Halloween season, Monster High Skullector brings us The Nightmare Before Christmas‘ leading duo like we’ve never seen them before. Take a look at these hauntingly glamorous Jack Skellington and Sally dolls.

Honestly, it’s hard to believe that these Jack Skellington and Sally dolls aren’t just drawings on a page. They’re so beautiful and intricate that they barely look real. But real they are, and they’re ready to join your Halloween Town.

A release from Mattel shares more about these Jack and Sally dolls. It notes of The Nightmare Before Christmas collection:

Just in time for the holidays, we’re paying homage to Disney Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas with this Skullector set. Disney’s Jack Skellington and Sally make a hauntingly handsome couple in boospoke fashions with a signature Monster High twist… Disney’s Jack Skellington and Sally are a lovable duo in haunting details that will make you scream with joy. Disney’s Jack Skellington radiates ghostlike charm in a stylized skeleton body. He wears a pinstriped suit with a skull motif, his bat bow tie, and Spiral Hill-heeled oxfords. Sally’s vibrant red hair and stitching details complement her gore-geous face sculpt, topped by a thistle, and bow headband.

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The Nightmare Before Christmas‘ Jack and Sally have always been style icons, so we’re glad someone is taking the time to really appreciate them. Alongside everything else mentioned in the official description, we also have to give a shoutout to the heels that Monster High Skullector Sally wears. They carry a little poisonous Easter egg. We just hope Mattel will make adult-sized versions of these Monster High Skullector looks because we would wear them.

That’s the fanciful stuff. As for the more practical details? Monster High Skullector Dolls, Jack & Sally from Disney’s Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas will cost $90. The dynamic duo originally released on October 27 via the Mattel Creations website but are now sold out. Hopefully, Mattel will see the demand for these Jack & Sally figures and release another run. They are also perfect for the Christmas season, after all. If you managed to snag them, then it’s time to cue up “Jack & Sally’s Song” and prepare for the arrival of your lovely new dolls. If not, well, The Nightmare Before Christmas is worth watching either way.

Originally published on October 25, 2023.

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This news might pose a danger to your bank account. However, after some cold, dispassionate calculations we’ve deemed the risk acceptable. Star Wars’ most resilient villain finally returned to the galaxy far, far away on Ahsoka. Now he is ready to come to your home with Hot Toys’ new Grand Admiral Thrawn figure. Only this version of the Imperial Chiss won’t arrive with an entire catacomb of mysterious cargo.

Hot Toys’ latest 1/6 scale Ahsoka figure is an “ultra-detailed” recreation of Lars Mikkelsen’s blue-skinned, red-eyed character. He recently made his live-action debut on the Disney+ series, and this figure looks like he walked right off the screen.

The miniature Thrawn, which stands nearly 12 feet 6 inches, features 30 points of articulation. It also has a hand-painted head sculpt and comes with Hot Toys’ “innovative rolling eyeball system which allows fans to adjust the figure’s gaze, creating more nuanced and lifelike poses.’ (If you thought Thrawn was imposing before just wait until someone in your house moves his eyes without telling you. That’ll be fun to realize the Grand Admiral is actually staring you down.)

This figure also wears a screen-accurate pristine white Imperial officer’s uniform that includes a belt, boots, and blaster holster. The set comes with a Star Destroyer hologram miniature, a blaster pistol, datapad, and a specially designed figure stand that has the Star Wars logo and character nameplate. And the Grand Admiral has seven interchangeable hands for you to choose from for your display.

Pre-orders are already available ($255). Unfortunately you’ll have to wait to get your hands on your figure. While it won’t take nearly as many years to ship as it did for Thrawn to get a ride back to his own galaxy, this collectible won’t arrive until March 2025.

A lot can change with that much time, we know. Empires can fall and rise in less time. But don’t worry about Thrawn not showing up. The Grand Admiral is a survivor.

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Coach Lasso told his players to “be a duck,” but now him and a couple of friends are going to be a different four-letter “d” word instead. Mattel Creations is bringing Barbie to the pitch with an original collection of dolls inspired by Apple TV+’s award-winning series. Ted Lasso, A.F.C. Richmond owner Rebecca Walton, and PR guru Keeley Jones are heading to shelves as the iconic toy line’s newest figures.

Ted Lasso Barbie dolls reunite our favorite Greyhounds in style. Each Gold label collectible comes from designer Suim Noh. They all feature original face sculpts, articulated bodies, and stands to help them remain upright. More importantly each wears a signature look from the series and comes packaged in a unique show-inspired box. Here’s the official description for all three from Mattel Creations:

• Ted Lasso: Our Ted doll is wearing a sporty blue tracksuit with sneakers. He also has removable aviator shades, a whistle, and trusty soccer ball. Commemorative packaging features the AFC Richmond locker room complete with “BELIEVE” sign and Nate’s homemade suggestion box.
  
• Rebecca Welton: Our Rebecca doll is dressed for her morning “Biscuits With the Boss” in a chic champagne blouse with black tailored pants and classic black pumps. Statement golden earrings and a handbag complete her sophisticated look.

• Keeley Jones: Our Keeley doll is dressed for a night on the town or a chic day in the office wearing a satiny pink midi dress, chic golden heels, and black faux fur cape. Her fabulous style is complete with her trademark high ponytail, signature golden hoops, and darling pink clutch.

All three figures ($50 each) are available to order from Mattel. Ted’s is already on sale. Meanwhile the Rebecca doll ships on November 10 and Keeley’s follows on December 8. Customers can only buy two versions of any one figure in an order, a sign the company expects them to sell out.

We do, too. So if you want these don’t be a duck and forget to buy them before Ted moves back to Kansas for good.

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Freddy Fazbear and friends are coming for you really soon. The popular game franchise Five Nights at Freddy’s has given fans tons of jump scares as they fight through the night against possessed animatronics. It will certainly make you not want to go anywhere near a Chuck E. Cheese anytime soon. Now, nearly ten years after the game’s debut, Five Nights at Freddy’s is getting the movie treatment with a film of the same name. Five Nights at Freddy’s hits theaters and Peacock on October 27, so it’s fitting that Youtooz is celebrating the release by dropping some fun collectible figures on the same day. And we have the exclusive reveal for you below!

In the above reveal image of the Five Nights at Freddy’s Youtooz line, there’s a Freddy Device Holder and a FNAF puzzle, retailing for $34.99 and $21.99, respectively. Both of these items are evergreen, so you will be able to nab them for the foreseeable future. A Five Nights at Freddy’s puzzle is perfect for a dark and stormy Friday night at home. But we aren’t sure that you want Freddy to hold onto any device for you…

There are a few scary figures that you’ll have to grab quickly, though. The Haunted Freddy, Haunted Chica, Haunted Foxy, Haunted Bonnie, and Haunted Golden Freddy Youtooz figures will only be available from October 27 at 12 PM PT until October 31 at 11:59 PM PT. These figures are all $29.99 each.

In case you didn’t catch the reference, that means you can only purchase these Youtooz creations for FIVE NIGHTS. They are truly a Halloween special. And, of course, YouTooz does an excellent job of capturing the essence of a universe, just like it did with The Boys collection.

Check out the images for these creepy (in the best way!) Youtooz Five Nights at Freddy’s collectible figures below. 

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Thankfully, these figures are not giant animatronics who are trying to kill you. At least, we don’t think they are… So get ready to bring the joy (or terror?) of Five Nights at Freddy’s to your shelves soon.

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When you think of Prime Video’s The Boys, many words come to mind. Bloody, gross, diabolical, and brilliant, to name a few. One word that doesn’t quite fit this show is “cute.” Sure it has some heartwarming moments but there’s nothing too fluffy happening in this world. But cute is the only way to describe Youtooz new line of The Boys collectible figures. 

Well, I partially take that statement back. Of course, The Deep makes everything super weird with that octopus on his crotch. We cannot forget the, um, moments they shared together last season. I can’t explain why, but I have suddenly lost my appetite. And then there’s Hughie and Robin (what’s left of her, anyway) moments after A-Train sped through her body in the very first episode. That still goes down as one of the most shocking moments in the series. These figures truly capture those wild moments well.

Those two delights aside, the other Youtooz Boys collectible figures are as normal as they can be but no less awesome. Who doesn’t want a laser-eyed Homelander on their shelf? Or perhaps you’d like to sit and sip with Kimiko. A singing Soldier Boy and a gun-toting Frenchie?! I love it. There’s also a Terror the bulldog plushie coming your way for additional delight.

For some reason, there isn’t an MM figure but we hope to see him soon. Billy Butcher has a limited-edition figure that’s currently available, so adding Mother’s Milk would truly complete this collection. And his figure has to rock a really cool T-shirt! Also, I know it is perhaps far too early to ask, but I’m putting in my bid for figures of the Gen V characters in the near future.

Yootooz will launch its The Boys collectible figures and plushies on October 17.

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Hello reader, I have a question for you. When is the last time you’ve been on your Animal Crossing island? If it has been months since the last time you saw Tom Nook (the crook), Isabelle, or your furry private island neighbors, I totally won’t judge you. I don’t even want to think about all the weeds growing in my grass or the bugs crawling in my house. Real life kinda takes over, you know? Or maybe you just need some sort of boost to make you want to grab your Switch again. Never, fear the great minds of LEGO are here to do just that. LEGO Animal Crossing sets are officially coming our way for the very first time in 2024!

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What Types of LEGO Animal Crossing Sets Are Coming Out? And How Much Will They Cost?

LEGO made the big announcement for a few sets via its official website. Here’s more information about the five LEGO Animal Crossing sets that will soon be available for purchase, including the price of each set: 

• Julian’s Birthday Party, where builders can celebrate with Julian, share cupcakes, and open presents. ($14.99)
• Bunnie’s Outdoor Activities allows enthusiasts of the great outdoors to roleplay, setting up a tent, roasting marshmallows or using the vaulting pole to jump across the water, and grab the shovel or other recognizable tools from the video game series. ($19.99)
• Kapp’n’s Island Boat Tour gives fans the opportunity to board the boat and explore another island with Kapp’n and Marshal, go on an adventure to search for coconuts and bamboo, discover wildlife, hermit crabs, and fish or simply hang out and enjoy the fire. ($29.99)
• Isabelle’s House Visit allows builders to get creative and help Isabelle and Fauna customize Fauna’s house and enjoy activities like opening the balloon present, crafting tools, or picking fruits and flowers. ($39.99)
• Nook’s Cranny & Rosie’s House gives builders two locations where they can roleplay stocking up Nook’s Cranny shop or go to Rosie’s house for freshly baked cookies.($74.99)

LEGO Animal Crossing Minifigures

Minifigures are always a big draw for LEGO sets, and the Animal Crossing sets are no different. But which of our favorite Animal Crossing friends will turn into Minifigures in this upcoming release? LEGO will make Isabella, Fauna, Julian, Bunnie, Kapp’n, Marshal, Tom Nook, and Rosie into Animal Crossing Minifigure form. That’s eight minifigures in total that you can collect across these new sets.

In a release Simon Kent, Creative Lead, Design Director at the LEGO Group, noted, “creating the minifigures to make sure they were accurately representing the characters in the video games was very important for us.” And it shows. You can check out these Animal Crossing LEGO Minifigures below.

What Is the Release Date for LEGO’s Animal Crossing Sets?

Gather your bells dollars now because these sets will be here before you know it. The LEGO Animal Crossing sets will be available globally at LEGO Stores, all retailers, and LEGO’s website on March 1, 2024. You can sign up now to get more information as the release date draws nearer.

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Over the past few years, we’ve reported often on the sad end, and potential revival, of the Toys R Us retail chain. Going into this store was like entering a magical realm for several generations of American children. But like some kind of toy miracle, the iconic toy store is making a big return. First, it was just as a pop-up shop, or as a section in a Macy’s department store. But according to CNBC, Toys R Us are opening a new brick-and-mortar store in November, in Terminal A of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. The rollout of Toys R Us stores will expand to up to 24 different locations, located in airports, cruise ships, and elsewhere.

In January 2017, there were 1,691 Toy R Us stores in North America. The company also licensed 257 stores across 38 countries. Then, thanks to the rise of Amazon and the dominance of big box stores like Target and Walmart, the legendary chain closed its doors. Afterward, a company called WHP acquired a controlling interest in Toys R Us’ parent company, Tru Kids, in 2021. Their plan was to open more stores nationwide after the only two remaining locations (outside of Macy’s) closed in 2021. The first new separate Toys R Us was a massive flagship store in a mall in New Jersey.

Its current flagship two-level store is at the American Dream mega-mall in New Jersey. This huge Toys R Us includes experiences for kids such as a two-story slide, a café, and an ice cream shop. It seems to survive in a post-pandemic, less retail shopping-centric world, Toys R Us is learning to upgrade into more than a store and become an experience. But for all of us who grew up in the ’70s through the ’90s? Just setting foot in that toy paradise was an experience. We all wanted to be Toys R Us kids, as the commercial jingle sang. Here’s hoping the brand can properly regain its standing in the culture at large.

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They sure don’t make movie posters like they used to. Case in point, all the gorgeous posters created for the original Indiana Jones films. While the posters for Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade are stunning, there’s just something sexy about that first poster for Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, featuring a shirtless Harrison Ford, machete in hand, standing in front of a temple column. This teaser poster by artist Bruce Wolfe remains iconic, and is the basis for the latest premium statue from the folks at Gentle Giant. You can check out images of this amazing Indy statue, now up for pre-order, right here in our gallery.

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This deluxe Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom statue stands approximately 15 inches tall. As we mentioned, it’s inspired by the original 1984 theatrical one-sheet poster. This 1/7 scale statue depicts Indy in his torn shirt, holding a whip in front of the vine-draped pillar. Gentle Giant is limiting this Indy statue to only 1,000 pieces, and it comes packaged with a numbered certificate of authenticity in a full-color box. This statue comes at a price of $300.00, and the manufacturer will start shipping these in spring 2024. Right now, the target date for shipping is around April to June 2024.

Gentle Giant has produced some other fantastic Indiana Jones statues in the past, focusing on the original film and also Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. They even have a bank based on the golden idol from the opening scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Many of these are still available from the official Gentle Giant site. Hopefully, we get some more based on Temple of Doom in the future. Who doesn’t want to see Indy and Short Round’s friendship immortalized forever in statue form? You can already sign us up for that pre-order.

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There are some things you just can’t get enough of, like lazy weekends, donuts, crisp fall mornings, and a good sitcom. I’d dare say that many of us would also include LEGO sets in that list. The company can release a zillion of them in a year and we are sure to buy at least a handful (or two). There’s something incredibly calming about tuning everything out and focusing on a build. The satisfaction of completing it is a truly unmatched burst of joy. LEGO is adding yet another Super Mario Bros. set to its collection with a figure that we all recognize. The LEGO Super Mario Bros. Piranha Plant set won’t consume our bodies but it will consume our time and energy in the best way. 

This fun Piranha Plant set is the latest addition to the LEGO Super Mario Theme for Adults collection. It boasts 540 pieces that come together to craft the iconic video game plant in vivid detail with 23cm high x 11cm wide x 17cm deep dimensions. The build starts from the bottom up as the Piranha Plant comes to wonderful LEGO life straight out of its green pipe.

Once completed, the builder can move the Piranha Plant’s head, mouth, stalk and leaves to create various poses. If you’re someone who lacks a green thumb, this plant can hang out in your home or office and you don’t have to worry about killing it. Will it try to kill you? Probably not, but keep your eyes open just in case. You can’t ever trust a plant with sharp teeth, after all.

The LEGO Super Mario Bros. Piranha Plant set will be available on November 6 and cost $59.99. Go ahead and add it to your holiday list for yourself because, well, you deserve good things.

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These days, it feels like Funko has a Pop! vinyl figure for every movie, TV show, musician, and athlete on the planet. So isn’t it about time they got around to making one of you? Well, that’s exactly what they’re about to do. Announced at the licensing expo summit in Las Vegas, via The Hollywood Reporter, we’ve learned that Funko is introducing the Pop! Yourself initiative, which allows fans to make custom Pop! toys using their own likeness. Until now, this only existed in the two Funko stores in Everett, Washington, and in Hollywood. But now, it’s officially available online, allowing everyone to have a Pop! figure of themselves at last.

The announcement was made in part as a way of celebrating Funko’s 25th anniversary. According to Dave Bere, Funko’s VP of marketing, “It’s the number one item at our retail stores the past two years, and makes up 20 percent of our in-store sales to date. It’s clear that our fans love the POP! Yourself offering, which is why we are thrilled to bring this to the mass market.” Part of the fun for this newer version of Pop! Yourself is that the company will be teaming up with certain licensors, so theoretically, you’ll be able to make yourself into a superhero, an animated character, or another beloved pop culture figure.

Even more fun, this custom Pop! Vinyl will be able to have interchangeable parts based on different IP that the brand has licensed. So let’s say one of them is Marvel, and another one is Star Wars (in theory, we don’t know which IP Funko will license for this). But you’d be able to have Captain America’s shield in one hand and Darth Vader’s lightsaber in the other. Maybe while wearing a t-shirt with your favorite musical act on it. How cool would that be? Right now, it seems like only Star Wars accessories are available, but this initiative only just launched online. You can however add a cute little cat or dog buddy.

So, if you want to turn yourself into a Funko, head to Funko.com. The program will also continue in person at Funko Hollywood and Funko Everett. The customized Funko you get when you Pop! Yourself will retail for $30.

Originally published June 22, 2023.

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There are so many insects in the world it’s impossible to comprehend their actual numbers. There are just too many of them! Even if you could picture how many are out there you wouldn’t want to. Their actual population would make your skin crawl. Fortunately, we’ll soon have a way to enjoy their presence in a way that is much easier to keep track of. Both numerically and physically. LEGO’s latest set, appropriately titled “The Insect Collection,” brings three beautiful insects to life. And LEGO even created another special playlist to make having these insects around more relaxing than encountering a slew of real bugs.

The Insect Collection is LEGO Ideas’ 50th fan concept to go into production. Designed by José María Pérez Suero of Spain, the set features a trio of colorful pieces. This LEGO set includes the Blue Morpho Butterfly on a branch in the South American Amazon Rainforest. It also sits next to a flower adorned with honeybee. Next is the world’s longest beetle, the Hercules Beetle. It rests atop a decaying log. You can also remove its wings and close its shell to create a different look. And finally, the LEGO Insects collectible comes with the Chinese Mantis up on a thin branch preying on a ladybug.

On their own, the three LEGO insects make for an aesthetically pleasing tableau of bugs. But LEGO also partnered with Foley artist Sanaa Kelley for what it calls a Green Noise “nature-inspired ASMR” playlist to accompany the set. The custom tracks consist of “LEGO clicks and sounds reimagined as the unique sounds of each insect.” You can stream it from a special site, which also explores the real-world inspiration behind Kelley’s work.

The 18+ display model set ($79.99) comes with 1,111-pieces. The LEGO Insect Collection will be available next month, starting on September 7. Our bet is it will be a very popular set. You have no idea how many bugs will want it.

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The Barbie movie has unforgettable fashion. Costume designer Jacqueline Durran drew inspiration from Mattel’s history with Barbie and Ken, but she also created new and memorable looks for all the characters. Ken in particular gets some truly excellent ensembles. Ryan Gosling’s Ken shines in pink, denim, fringe—you name it. Every fabric in every hue is his friend. But all the Kens have a standout outfit moment. Mattel is highlighting some of the best looks with Barbie movie Ken dolls. The toy company has had most of these Ken dolls listed already, but they recently added Ken’s fringed cowboy look.

This outfit, complete with a hat and boots, sets Ken on the path to patriarchy. Incidentally, said patriarchy does not include horses. When Ken picks out and steals this outfit in the real world with Barbie, he definitely didn’t realize it was going to change his life and help him figure out his purpose.

In case you missed some of the other Ken dolls, there’s Simu Liu’s Ken in the white and gold tracksuit. It’s made for comfort and big dance numbers.

Don’t forget Ken’s denim-on-denim outfit. Pairing denim with more denim works best if the top is actually an open vest. That breaks things up nicely. Please note the detail of the briefs, just like the outfit in the movie.

Last, but certainly not least, we have Ken’s Mojo Dojo Casa House style. It’s big and bold. It’s a choice. Between the fur coat and the large, sparkling horse medallion, we’re not sure how Barbie resisted. Is he really just Ken? (He is).

When it comes to dressing like Ken IRL, don’t forget you can preorder a “I am Kenough” hoodie.

These Ken dolls are currently out of stock, but keep an eye on Mattel’s store to see if they come back. The dolls start at $50.

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At long last, the Ahsoka series is set to debut on Disney+, with a two-episode premiere on August 23. But with every new Star Wars chapter, there must come new Star Wars merch. The latest product for Ahsoka reveals something fans have been wondering about since Lucasfilm basically said that the show would be a de facto sequel to Star Wars Rebels. LEGO has revealed their new Ahsoka-themed set, which features the Ghost and the Phantom II. Both of which were hero ships in Star Wars Rebels.

The set contains a surprise for Star Wars Rebel fans. One of the minifigures is Jacen Syndulla, the son of pilot Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and the late Jedi hero Kanan Jarrus. The series introduced the character briefly in the Star Wars Rebels series finale, as a young green-haired kid. Although it’s hard to tell in LEGO form, this now-brown-haired human-looking child seems quite a bit older. That would definitely put the Ahsoka timeline well past the Star Wars Rebel finale. You can check out several images of the new Ahsoka LEGO set below:

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The buildable Ghost model features two lever-activated spring-loaded shooters, a dual LEGO minifigure cockpit with a removable front section, and a cabin with two opening hatches. There is also a detachable turret with a cannon (non-shooting) and space for a LEGO minifigure. The Phantom II shuttle has an opening minifigure cockpit and a storage compartment. There are also five characters, including General Hera Syndulla, Lt. Beyta, First Officer Hawkins, and the previously mentioned Jacen Syndulla. A Chopper (C1-10P) LEGO droid figure also comes with this set. The Ghost starship measures over 4.5 in. (12 cm) high, 13.5 in. (34 cm) long and 10.5 in. (26 cm) wide, and is made up of 1,394 pieces.

The LEGO Star Wars Ahsoka Ghost and Phantom II is already available for pre-order for $159.99.

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It’s always the right time to celebrate Halloween. And we’re sure the Sanderson Sisters from Salem would agree. You can now ready yourself for the best season with an eerie but excellent LEGO Ideas set, one die-hard Halloweeners are sure to recognize. This LEGO set is the witchy cottage from the cult classic Disney film Hocus Pocus. And LEGO has filled this Hocus Pocus set with many details from the 1993 movie that fans will absolutely love. You can check out images of the latest fan-inspired LEGO set right here in our gallery.

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The new Hocus Pocus LEGO set evokes the film in every way. There’s the graveyard, where much of the action takes place, and the different magical artifacts found in the Sanderson cottage, like the cauldron, the Spellbook, and more. The LEGO Minifigures include all three Sanderson sisters, Winifred, Mary, and Sarah. Also included in the Hocus Pocus LEGO set are the film’s kid protagonists, Max and Dani Dennison, and Allison Watts. And, of course, the cat Thackery Binx.

In addition to celebrating its own LEGO set, Hocus Pocus celebrated its 30th anniversary this year. Despite being a Halloween-themed film, it was released during the summer months. That killed it at the box office, but years of TV airing made the film a classic. And recently, a sequel arrived, nearly three decades in the making. You can’t keep a good witch down. You can order the Hocus Pocus cottage LEGO set for $229.00 by clicking on this link. And hopefully, you can get it built up by Halloween. After all, the Sanderson sisters need their cottage in order to create the most mayhem possible. And it’s never too early or too late to start celebrating the absolutely best time of the whole year.

Originally published on June 12, 2023.

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Being a superhero isn’t easy—especially not in a city like Gotham. Batman manages the task—some days more successfully than others—and one aspect that has to help is his secret hideout. He stocks his Batcave with technology, weapons, and extra Bat-supplies. Plus Alfred shows up from time to time with tea. LEGO has captured the coolness of the Batcave in its new set from Batman Returns. The LEGO Batcave Shadow Box features a cut-out of the Batman symbol in front of the Batcave. You can open up the Shadow Box to peek inside the Batcave and see the Batmobile, bats, batarangs, and many more details, as Nerdist discovered when LEGO sent us a Batcave Shadow Box for review.

This LEGO set is massive. With 3981 pieces, the box has some heft. It comes with 29 bags, sticker sheets, and four thick manuals. You need room for this build. I’ve put together several LEGO sets, but I wasn’t prepared for this one’s in-construction footprint. Unless you plan to assemble the LEGO Batcave in one marathon session, you’ll need a place to store it when you’re not building and plenty of room as you build—the set needs to swing open at various points during construction.

In addition to this requiring the most physical space of any LEGO sets I have constructed, it also took the most time. Watching Batman Returns during the first build session prolonged the time spent snapping pieces together. I didn’t put on anymore Batman movies as I continued and actually paid full attention to the LEGO Batcave. Assembly took around 10-11 hours total, split between 12 sessions.

When I first glanced at all the bags of seemingly endless gray and black bricks, I didn’t feel confident about how it would come together. Yes, that is Batman’s color palette. No, Gotham isn’t known for being a place of jewel tones or pastels. Still, I wasn’t sure if so much sameness would lend itself to showing off details. I was wrong.

Click To View Gallery

Those gray and black LEGO bricks brought together a dimensional Batcave layered with stalactites and stalagmites and formations in the cave’s walls. Scaffolding, tools, and various Bat-gadgets break up the space. Moving parts such as a door that lowers to reveal an extra Batsuit, a garage door for the Batmobile, and sliding doors and screens add toyetic components to the Shadow Box. You can roll out the Batmobile and move it around on its own, too.

As far as minifigs, the set pulls from characters in Batman Returns. It comes with seven figures, including two versions of Batman, Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth, the Penguin, Catwoman, and Max Shreck. I didn’t know I needed a Christopher Walken minifig in my life until this set. As is often the case with LEGO, the accessories for the minifgs are excellent finishing touches.

The LEGO Batcave Shadow Box design is such that it blends the organic shapes of the cave, the flowing lines of the Bat-symbol, and Batman’s vast array of technology perfectly. The variety of pieces makes for dynamic visuals. It’s the kind of LEGO set that demands more lighting to illuminate the background (the set comes with a single light brick). We can see this Shadow Box concept translating to other properties, particularly Star Wars. But until then, I’ll be over here playing with the Batmobile and posing Alfred with his pot of tea.

The LEGO Batcave Shadow Box set is widely available from LEGO’s site or LEGO stores on June 8 for $399.99.

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This year is a monumental one for two of the biggest movie franchises in Hollywood. And we do mean biggest in every sense of the word. Transformers is finally returning to theaters this weekend with its latest live-action feature film, Rise of the Beasts. And just a couple days later Jurassic Park will mark its 30th anniversary. So it’s only fitting the two merchandise monsters are also celebrating together with a big toy crossover. Hasbro’s new Jurassic Park and Transformers mash-up pack turns that prehistoric park into a mechanized battle between a dino and the car that helped it make movie history.

Hasbro’s back with its latest cinematic crossover collectible. Previous Transformers combos brought the Autobots to Back to the Future, Top Gun: Maverick, and the Ghostbusters. But with Rise of the Beasts coming to screens the company turned to some other famous beasts for inspiration.

The Jurassic Park x Transformers Dilophocon and Autobot JP12 mash-up pack is a Dennis Nedry nightmare. It turns both the Dilophosaurus and the iconic Jeep Wrangler Sahara in which it attacked him into giant battling robots. This encounter will be even more dangerous than their first. Here’s the toy’s official description:

Each figure converts from robot mode to movie-inspired alt mode (convert Dilophocon in 20 steps; Autobot JP12 in 23 steps) and features screen-accurate deco and details. This 2-pack comes with movie-inspired accessories including a shaving cream canister, embryo containment unit, rain hat, venom blast effect, and 2 blaster accessories.

Designed for ages eight and up, the pack comes with a big price tag. You can pre-order yours at Hasbro Pulse and Amazon for $74.99. It begins shipping later this Fall. And while the late Dennis Nedry would have hated this toy, we love it. It’s a big collectible millions of years (+ 30 more) in the making.

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In the next obvious move, Mattel has released a collection of Barbie dolls and accessories from the upcoming Barbie movie starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. Now all we need is a movie about the Barbie movie Barbie dolls, and we’ll have gone full Barbie-ception. Of course, the merchandise line for the Barbie movie had to happen, but we also feel there’s a funny kind of irony to the collection. We have a feeling the movie will poke some fun at Barbie as a brand and her doll-like fantasy existence. But she got us because we’ll still take her home to play with anyway. From full Kenergy, pastel-striped Ken to Barbie’s dreamhouse (no walls or doors here), check out the Barbie the movie doll collection.

Barbie the movie’s Mattel doll collection gives you everything a Barbie (who is everything) and Ken (who is just Ken) could want. There’s President Barbie, Pink Power Pantsuit Barbie, Denim Matching Set Ken, and even a couple of corvettes. There’s even a Hot Wheels Corvette you can actually drive. We have to wonder if Hot Wheels will cameo in the Barbie movie.

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What we don’t see is John Cena’s mermaid Barbie… And “wrangling with the concept of death” Barbie and “Existential Crisis” Barbie are also nowhere to be found in this movie line. And honestly, if Mattel could put out some Barbie dolls with that Kenergy, we would be first in line.

The Barbie movie releases on July 21.

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The MCU certainly knows how to build to a big showdown. Ever since the Avengers first got together to take on Loki the franchise has delivered some epic team-ups. Now LEGO will let fans physically build their own big showdown via two new action-packed sets. Both Endgame and Spider-Man are getting their own final battle LEGO collections.

LEGO’s Endgame Final Battle 794-piece set ($99.99) will bring the iconic war with Thanos at the Avengers compound to your own home. The 360-degree set comes with seven minifigs. That includes: Captain Marvel, Okoye, Wanda Maximoff, Shuri, Valkyrie, Thanos, and The Wasp. The collection also features plenty of spots to place the heroes, as well as other fun extras. Among the wreckage you’ll find Captain America’s shield, Thor’s hammer, the Time Stone, and the portal-opening rat that helped save the universe.

While you can put this set on display, it’s designed for play. It stands 11.5-inches high by 8.5-inches wide and 8-inches deep when closed, but it comes with two handles so you can pull it open. That “causes the battleground to expand for even more adventures.”

But LEGO knows no MCU fan would settle for just one epic showdown, which is why the company has also announced another new 360-degree playset. The Spider-Man Final Battle collection ($109.99) celebrates the last clash in No Way Home in cool LEGO style. And yes, that means it has separate minifigs for each the film’s three Spider-Mans: Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland. Joining them are figures for Electro, Doctor Strange, Green Goblin, Ned, MJ, and Doc Ock.

The characters are just the start of the fun with this set measuring 7-inches high, 8-inches wide and 8.5-inches deep. It also has “three minifigure supports for midair action. It also has a removable roof that opens up to show Sandman’s hand. And there’s “a flip-open rear access to a portal and a soft web element to envelop minifigures.”

Both sets are designed for ages 10 and up. Each will be available later this summer on August 1. But while you have to wait to get your hands on them, you don’t have to build a bunch of other sets before they come out. Only the MCU has to do that before it reaches its final battles.

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An entire generation will always think of Michael Keaton as their Batman. And now, after over 30 years, he’ll be wearing the cape and cowl again for The Flash. His costume, although slightly altered for modern times, still has the familiar silhouette from Tim Burton’s classic films. Hot Toys is bringing the old/new Batman to life in a deluxe 1/6 scale collector’s figure. Is it just us, or can you already hear that classic Danny Elfman Batman theme? You can check out images of this new figure below in our gallery.

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The Michael Keaton Batman modern suit 1/6 Scale Figure features two brand-new, hand-painted portraits. Both of these are equipped with Hot Toys’ rolling eyeballs feature, allowing collectors to adjust the figure’s gaze. Owners of this figure can swap out the meticulously sculpted and ultra-realistic Bruce Wayne/Michael Keaton head sculpt for a cowled head, which includes interchangeable lower face plates to alter Batman’s expression. (He does have more than one, you know). This Batman figure stands at approximately 30 cm tall.

They’ve dressed the highly articulated 1/6 scale body in a detailed Batsuit, with two interchangeable fabric capes. These replicate the texture and detail of the updated Batman suit we’ll soon see in The Flash. The Dark Knight’s many accessories include his signature Bat-gadgets of course. These include a line launcher, a Batarang, a remote, a bomb timer, and more. The specially designed LED-illuminated display stand is perhaps the coolest addition. This deluxe collectible figure will set you back $305.00, and you can pre-order it now from Sideshow Collectibles. They expect the Batman modern suit figure to ship in July, 2024.

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Few toys in history are as iconic as LEGO. But the company’s latest partnership celebrates one of the few playthings worthy of that lofty status. LEGO’s newest collectible will let you build your own replica of a truly iconic game. The LEGO Icons Pac-Man Arcade Set will have you hungry to build a shrine to a legendary toy.

LEGO’s latest item recreates a vintage 1980s-style Pac-Man arcade cabinet. The 2,650-piece set, designed for ages 18+, measures 12.5-inches high, 10-inches wide, and 7-inches deep. It also comes with interactive pieces that give it the kind of vibrancy and energy you’d have if you were standing in an arcade with your middle-school friends on a Friday night.

The collection comes with “colorful brick versions” of Pac-Man, Blinky, and Clyde that rotate on a base that you can display either on top of the cabinet or on its own. Once you’re finished putting the whole thing together there’s also a coin-slot that lights up. The collectible also includes a “small vignette of a female minifigure playing Pac-Man” on a tiny Pac-Man machine herself. And finally, the back of the plastic brick replica also opens up so you can see the inner-workings. (Thats also where you can safely store the mini vignette.)

LEGO announced the set on the same day Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. (nee Namco) originally release Pac-Man in 1980. You won’t have to wait 43 years to get this version of the game, though.

The LEGO Icons Pac-Man Arcade Set will be available on June 1 to LEGO VIP members. Everyone else can grab theirs ($269.99) from LEGO.com and in LEGO Stores starting on June 4. Well, you can so long as a ghost doesn’t get you first. That goes for a video ghost or a plastic one. Because after four decades those hungry specters are finding new ways to torment us.

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If ever you needed to know how influential Hideaki Anno is in Japan, look no further. The creator of Neon Genesis Evangelion and its many reboots has more recently ushered in a new, unprecedented collaboration from some of Japan’s most popular cultural icons. Following the success of Anno and Shinji Higuchi’s Shin Godzilla in 2016, he produced and wrote Shin Ultraman and wrote, produced, and directed Shin Kamen Rider. The three of them, along with EVA Unit 1, the iconic main mech from Evangelion, formed the Shin Japan Heroes Project with Bandai.

Now the most ridiculous mashup you could imagine is here, which we first saw on Gizmodo. All four come together like a Megazord to fight a giant alien threat. Even though, chiefly, three of them are already giant sized and one of them is a tiny dude on a motorcycle. I… I haven’t the words.

That’s right; not only is this weird and silly, it’s also a toy advert. This tells you how much money Japan puts into toy advertisements in 2023. At any rate, seeing Godzilla fold open into a torso is breathtakingly strange. For most of the transformation sequence I was thinking “What is Kamen Rider going to do?” Then the Cyclone (his motorcycle) turns into the mecha’s head, and the man himself sits atop it might some kind of cybernetic Paul Atreides. Delightfully ridiculous.

The toy is a premium Bandai number, which will retail for 23,100 Yen. Don’t mortgage your house; that’s only about $170 US.

Very unlikely we’ll ever see this in a real movie, but it is fun to see. Shin Ultraman played the festival circuit last year and will get a Blu-ray release in North America later this summer. Meanwhile the long-awaited Shin Kamen Rider will play as a one-night-only Fathom Event on May 31. After that? Who knows! So soak in the Anno weirdness whilst you can.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

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The LEGO Ideas website has been giving beloved stories and characters a new life in LEGO for years. From a Dungeons & Dragons set, to Willow, and beyond, fan-created LEGO sets are pure delight and passion in brick form. Now’s your chance to turn one of your own fond memories into a LEGO set you can hold in your hands: it’s The Muppet Show from veteran LEGO Ideas builder Bulldoozer!

“LEGO Ideas has finally allowed me to submit my design for a Muppet Show set,” said Ivan Guerrero, AKA Bulldoozer, on Twitter. “I’ve been trying to get this set made [for six] years now.”

The Muppet Show LEGO set, which Guerrero first attempted submitting in 2017, features the front and back stages of the show in an ingenious wraparound design.

“The mainstage includes three mini diorama sets and a detachable balcony,” reads the design description. “With ‘you’ as the guest star, start off the show beneath The Muppet Show’s iconic opening theme arches… Statler and Waldorf will throw in a quick heckle or two from their balcony seats.”

The set would also feature minifigs of Kermit the Frog, “Swine Trek” Firstmate Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Statler, Waldorf, the Swedish Chef, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Beaker, and Gonzo. (How can you possibly resist minifig Beaker?)

It’s obvious that Guerrero, who previously created the successful 123 Sesame Street LEGO Ideas set in 2019, is a huge fan of the Muppets. Every detail in his set design is a little LEGO love letter to the classic television series. Kermit’s mug. The penguin in the orchestra pit. Chickens. The “Turn the World Around” poster as an homage to Harry Belafonte’s unforgettable sketch in 1978. The set is simply Muppetational.

LEGO Ideas sets need 10,000 votes to go from the pitch phase to development review by the LEGO Group. All it takes is logging into your LEGO.com account and adding your vote to make Guerrero’s dream a reality!

Kelly Knox (she/her) is a Seattle-area author and entertainment writer who also contributes to StarWars.com, DCComics.com, and more. Follow her on Twitter at @kelly_knox to talk about just about everything pop culture.

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With Michael Keaton returning as the Dark Knight in The Flash, we’re feeling nostalgic for the Tim Burton Batman films he starred in. We know most people’s favorite is the original 1989 Batman, but we have a soft spot for Burton’s weird and dark follow-up, Batman Returns. Now, LEGO has something amazing for all of our fellow Batman Returns fans, with a brand new Batman Returns Batcave Shadow Box set. The new set arrives on June 8, right before The Flash hits theaters. You can see several images of the LEGO Batcave set below:

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This super-detailed set showcases the full Batcave inside a display box with a cutout in the shape of the world-famous Batman emblem. At the heart of the set is the Caped Crusader’s Batmobile. And it’s sporting the same design as in Tim Burton’s 1992 blockbuster; it’s still one of the best Batmobile designs ever. This LEGO Batcave set features many clever functions and gadgets, including the ability to move furniture and change images on the big screen. You can also open a vault and open a door. There’s even a light brick.

To complete the tribute to the movie, the LEGO Batcave comes with several brand-new minifigures. These include Catwoman, the Penguin, as well as Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth, and Christopher Walken’s character of Max Shreck. Alfred looks like he’s making tea for Bruce; we’d like to think he has some vichyssoise soup as well, just as in the movie. The Batman Returns Batcave Shadow Box set has 3,981 pieces. That’s massive! Its measurements are L: cm/in 51,2/20,16,​ W: cm/in 14,8/5,86, and D: cm/in 29,1/11,46. The new Shadow Box set will be available for LEGO VIPs from June 5 at LEGO.com/Batman. It will also arrive via LEGO Stores. It becomes available for all from June 8, priced at $399.99 / £344.99/  € 399.99.

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Disney villains need love too. In fact, if you asked most people, they would say the villains are the best part of any Disney movie. And this is exactly why we love this gorgeous new Villain Icon LEGO set so much. Some of the Disney villains themselves are, of course, literally present in LEGO Minifigure form. But the set takes a more conceptual approach to honoring Disney’s evil cabal.

Instead of a straightforward build, the villains recive a beautifully crafted and symbol-filled set. For instance, a pocket watch steps in to bring some of the devious Captain Hook’s menace to the table. The description of the Villian Icons build shares more about the Disney LEGO set, noting:

This detailed collectible set features 2 brick-built VHS cases referencing Disney’s Aladdin and Sleeping Beauty, a VHS ‘tape’ of The Little Mermaid, a book representing Beauty and the Beast, a Queen of Hearts playing card for Alice in Wonderland, a ‘poison’ apple for Snow White and a pocket watch representing Captain Hook from Peter Pan. The set also features several hidden features and functions and makes a nostalgic bookend on a shelf.

Of course, everything comes colored in the villains’ distinctive Disney colors. Hidden in the set, you’ll also find LEGO Minifigures for Disney’s Maleficent, the Evil Queen in Disguise from Snow White, Gaston from Beauty and the Beast, and Jafar Genie from Aladdin. We love them all already.

This evil and slightly nostalgic set is made up of 1,540 pieces. It costs $129.99, and you can pre-order it now. The LEGO Villain Icons build will ship out to Disney fans on June 1.

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Thanks to a Seth Rogen performance in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Donkey Kong is getting some new appreciation. As well he should, since the big ape was headlining his own arcade game years before Mario and Luigi. In honor of that iconic 1240 pound gorilla, the folks at LEGO are releasing brand new sets of the Nintendo legend this summer. These will include Donkey Kong’s Tree House Expansion Set, Diddy Kong’s Mine Cart Ride Expansion Set, Dixie Kong’s Jungle Jam Expansion Set, and a Rambi the Rhino Expansion Set. You can check out some early images, and read the full descriptions for each set, down below:

Donkey Kong’s Tree House LEGO Expansion Set  

Use LEGO Mario, Luigi, or Peach figures to jump onto Donkey Kong’s back and explore this colorful tree house. You’ll find a buildable TV and radio, the option to play the conga drums, or even visit Cranky Kong to earn some digital coins. Look closely and you may discover a secret compartment. If you get tired after all the exploration, there’s a comfy hammock for Donkey Kong to have a nap in.  

Diddy Kong’s Mine Cart Ride Expansion Set

This incredible 1,157-piece set features one of Donkey Kong’s most iconic locations and challenges. Place a LEGO Super Mario figure in the mine cart to ride around the track. Flip the Snaggles out of the way, fix the broken section of track, defeat the Mole Miner, and “explode” the rock to reveal a bunch of bananas. Will you “eat” them or gift them to Diddy Kong or Funky Kong? The fun doesn’t stop there, you can buy balloons from Funky Kong’s airplane shop and fly the plane too! 

Dixie Kong’s Jungle Jam Expansion LEGO Set

Get ready for some musical fun with Dixie Kong’s Jungle Jam Expansion Set. LEGO Mario, LEGO Luigi, or LEGO Peach can take center stage and perform with Dixie Kong and Squawks, the parrot, all set in vibrant and fun jungle surroundings.  

Rambi the Rhino Expansion Set

LEGO Super Mario figures can jump on Rambi’s back and ride into action. Listen out for fun sound effects when Rambi walks, charges into the included stackable rock elements, or makes other movements. 

The new LEGO Super Mario Donkey Kong Expansion Sets will arrive on August 1, 2023 via LEGO stores, Lego.com, and certain retailers. For more information, head on over to the official LEGO site.

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The Blue Blur has conquered video games, Dr. Robotnik, and the big screen. He’s even conquered LEGO before. But now he’s ready to conquer the fact those little plastic bricks don’t move like he does. The company announced another partnership with Sega that will bring a new collection of Sonic the Hedgehog LEGO sets to stores. Only these collectibles aren’t designed to merely sit on your shelf collecting dust. They’ll let you zip Sonic around your home.

Sega and the LEGO Group are celebrating both brands with a new Sonic the Hedgehog Product Range. It will include four different sets “of different sizes and complexity” for fans to build. The collection—sold separately—will also celebrate some of the most famous characters and locations in the franchise. And it will come with plenty of accessories and extras. (You can find the full product descriptions with images, measurements, and prices below).

You’ll be able to construct Sonic’s Speed Sphere, Tails’s Workshop and Tornado Plane, Amy’s Animal Rescue Island, and the Green Hill Zone. They’ll come with figures for Sonic, Tails, Amy, and Dr. Eggman. Those would be fun static collectibles for Sonic fans to take home. But this collection also celebrates the spirit of video game franchise and its iconic character. The LEGO Sonic the Hedgehog collaboration has “modular elements inviting Sonic fans to build high-velocity obstacles for Sonic to blast through as he battles the Badniks and rescues his friends.”

Customers won’t be limited to just these four settings, however. LEGO says the collection lets fans “get creative, construct their own unique courses, combine sets and invent new storylines, or reminisce their treasured memories as they challenge the beloved hedgehog to be the hero of the day.”

Challenge accepted. As soon as we can take it.

The LEGO Sonic The Hedgehog sets will be available this summer. They go on sale at LEGO.com and in LEGO stores on August 1st, 2023.

Sonic’s Speed Sphere Challenge

• Ages: 7+
• Pieces: 292
• Measurements: The speed sphere launcher measures over 1.5 in. (4 cm) high, 5.5 in. (14 cm) wide and 2 in. (5 cm) deep
• 3 characters and accessories – The set comes with Sonic the Hedgehog, the iconic Moto bug Badnik, Sonic’s Flicky friend and lots of accessories for role play
• Price: 29,99 EUR / 34.99 USD / 24,99 GBP

Tails’s Workshop and Tornado Plane

• Ages: 6+
• Pieces: 376
• Measurements: The workshop measures over 3.5 in. (9 cm) high, 5 in. (12 cm) wide and 3.5 in. (9 cm) deep
• 4 characters and accessories – This action playset comes with characters Sonic, Tails, a Clucky, Buzz Bomber and lots of toy accessories for role play
• Price: 42,99 EUR / 39.99 USD / 37,99 GBP

Amy’s Animal Rescue Island

• Ages: 7+
• Pieces: 388
• Measurements: The island measures over 5 in. (12 cm) high, 9.5 in. (24 cm) wide and 6.5 in. (17 cm) deep
• 6 characters and accessories – The set comes with characters Amy, Tails, Crabmeat, Picky, Pocky and a Flicky, plus accessories for creative play
• Price: 52,99 EUR / 49.99 USD / 46,99 GBP

Sonic’s Green Hill Zone Loop Challenge

• Ages: 8+
• Pieces: 802
• Measurements: The primary track assembly with loop measures over 8 in. (21 cm) high, 14.5 in. (37 cm) wide and 7.5 in. (19 cm) deep
• 9 characters and accessories – The set comes with Sonic, Amy, a Flicky, Becky, Pocky, Pecky, Dr. Eggman, plus Badniks Chopper and Newtron and lots of toy accessories for role play
• Price: 104,99 EUR / 99.99 USD / 94,99 GBP

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Hasbro’s Indiana Jones Adventure Series has given Indy fans some incredible figures over the past year, celebrating the beloved film series. With Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny hitting theaters this summer, now is the perfect time to start collecting. These ultra-detailed figures celebrate the 40-year legacy of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg’s iconic high adventure franchise starring Harrison Ford.

Hasbro has detailed this latest batch of action figures. Each is made to look like the characters from Raiders of the Lost Ark. They feature premium detail and multiple points of articulation. This wave features Professor Henry Jones Jr. (that’s Indy to you) as well as Indy’s best friend Marcus Brody, and also his rival in archeology René Belloq. You can check out detailed images of each of the figures and their packaging below:

Indiana Jones Adventure Series, Indiana Jones (Cairo)

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This wave features Indy in his look from the early scenes of the Cairo segment from Raiders. Along with the figure, there’s a detachable pistol, coiled whip, regular whip, satchel, and the monkey spy as accessories. There are also 2 pairs of additional hands. It will be available for pre-order on April 13 at 1PM Eastern Time on Amazon and Fan Channel retailers. Retail price is $33.99, and it will be available in Fall 2023.

Indiana Jones Adventure Series, Marcus Brody and René Belloq (Ark Showdown)

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Next up is Indy’s friend Marcus Brody and his nemesis René Belloq, in his Ark Showdown suit. This 2-pack is detailed to look like the characters from Raiders, featuring premium detail and multiple points of articulation. It Includes two figures, a detachable machine gun for Belloq, Brody’s apple that he nicked from Indy’s desk, and Brody’s book of Biblical history as accessories. It will be available for pre-order on April 13 at 1PM Eastern Time on Fan Channels and via Amazon. Retail Price is $55.99, and it will be available in Fall 2023.

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The Darksaber has come to play a key part in the galaxy far, far away since Star Wars: The Clone Wars introduced it. With its story continuing in Star Wars Rebels and now The Mandalorian, it only makes sense that Hasbro would make a toy version of the fearsome weapon. The toy company’s latest iteration on the coolest Star Wars lightsaber ever is a Black Series Force FX Elite version. The collectible is a screen-accurate replica of the Mandalorian Darksaber with an impressive white-edged black glowing blade. It is gorgeous.

The Darksaber Black Series Force FX Elite Lightsaber comes with advanced LEDs and lightsaber sound effects from the series. While it does make realistic sounds when you strike it against something, I wouldn’t call it a toy. This beauty is something you display on a shelf and activate for the occasional midday break and/or selfie. In other words, yes, you can play with this Hasbro Darksaber, but it’s so detailed and gorgeous, you wouldn’t want to risk breaking it. (Hasbro recommends it for ages 14 and up).

With the heft of its metal hilt and the first-ever Force FX Elite Lightsaber white LED blade edge, the Darksaber is striking. It’s more than I would expect for a widely available lightsaber. The quality is superior to the lightsabers you can purchase at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, which are the only mass mark lightsabers I find comparable. You can separate the Darksaber’s blade and hilt for display purposes too. Overall, it is the closest you can get to leading Mandalore without being Bo-Katan Kryze.

And if you pair the Darksaber with Hasbro’s equally high-quality Bo-Katan Kryze Electronic Helmet, you will be ready to rule. The helmet comes with an illuminated heads-up display and a flip-down rangefinder. While I wouldn’t wear the helmet for hours as part of a costume, it’s ideal for display and for photos. Hasbro has information on where to purchase both the Darksaber and the helmet in its online shop.

Note: Hasbro sent this product to Nerdist for free.

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Who can resist Pokémon Squishmallows? They are indeed hot commodities, with Pikachu and Gengar causing a purchasing frenzy. (Seriously, the bigger ones were gone in a flash online.) It totally makes sense to watch to catch ‘em because, well, they are cuddly and squishy. Now, more Pokémon Squishmallows have arrived, as we see in this IG video. Say hello to Snorlax and Togepi Squishmallows… And get those Poké Balls ready to snap them up. 

These new Pokémon Snorlax and Togepi Squishmallows have officially landed in stores. So we suggest you act fast because many trainers will surely wish to snag them. Who can resist those cute faces, honestly?

Jazwares shares the Togepi and Snorlax Squishmallows will arrive on “Amazon, Target, Walmart, and other major retailers.”

We assume these new Pokémon Squishmallows will come in both 10-inch and 20-inch sizes. And they will presumably be hard to find online and in stores, but we have to try, right? That’s what being a Pokémon master is all about. If we had to give a recommendation, finding these new plushes in a physical store will probably be simpler than tracking them down online. But that’s just our opinion.

More details should be coming soon but prepare your hearts (and space) for more cuddly friends.

Originally published on February 22, 2023.

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We all know our actual government doesn’t always come through for us. Fortunately there will always be one public official who will never let us down: Leslie Knope. And now you can bring Pawnee’s best employee and her friends home from work. Parks & Rec is the latest series to get its very own Little People set from Fisher-Price. And Leslie, Ron, Andy, and April come packed with Easter eggs from the show.

Fisher-Price has partnered with NBCUniversal for the all-new Parks & Recreation Little People Collector set. They officially announced it ahead of March 31—a date that really does exist—to celebrate Ron Swanson’s very busy day of meetings.

Each of the four figures in the collection pays tribute to the character. Leslie wears her 2012 campaign pin and holds a whipped cream-topped waffle. (Something tells us we know which restaurant she ordered it from.) Ron carries a coffee mug and sports his red sweatshirt. (If you don’t know what that signifies go watch the show. No, we will not tell you.) Meanwhile Andy Dwyer holds his guitar while in his shoeshine apron. And his wife April Ludgate wears a cardigan and blouse combo, “along with her signature dour expression” that really captures her true spirit.

The set’s box is also a big part of the collection. It is covered on the front and the back with nods to Parks & Rec most famous moments and quotes. From a raccoon peeking through the window to a Paunch Burger bag, there are loads of Easter eggs for dedicated fans to go hunting for.

If you’re one of them and want to find the Fisher-Price Little People Collector Parks and Recreation set head to the Mattel Shop. There you can learn where it is already available for $24.99.

To get the full experience we recommend opening up yours during breakfast. Our favorite government employee would want you to.

The post Take Work Home With the New PARKS & REC Fisher-Price Little People Set appeared first on Nerdist.

To us, LEGO and Indiana Jones feels like a match made in heaven. Who could resist building booby traps out of LEGOs? Certainly not us. But it turns out LEGO hasn’t released a new Indiana Jones set in over ten years. A serious error that is happily about to be rectified. In what feels like a celebration of the new Indiana Jones movie, Dial of Destiny, LEGO is taking us old school with three new Raiders of the Lost Ark sets.

At center of the three, we have the “Escape from the Lost Tomb” LEGO set. This one drops your right into the heart of the action and lets you recreate an iconic moment from Raiders of the Lost Ark. Build and then dodge hissing cobras, toppling statues of gods, and creepy mummies. And, of course, you’ll get some fun new Minifigures to complete the picture. This 600-piece Indiana Jones LEGO set costs $40.

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Joining it are the “Temple of the Golden Idol” set, which celebrates the opening of the movie, and a “Fighter Plane Chase” set which puts vehicles at center. All three of these new Indiana Jones sets are now available.

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One can, it turns out, simply walk into one part of Middle-earth. No, it’s not Mordor. We’re talking about Rivendell. The beautiful location comes to life in The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell LEGO Icons set. Once you walk into this version of Rivendell, you’ll find yourself on a very unexpected journey—a delightful one.

I have never put together a serious LEGO set before Rivendell. But when I saw it announced, it was love at first sight. So I gathered my Fellowship, and together we embarked on this most remarkable quest with a set that LEGO provided to Nerdist. But luckily, unlike the trip to Mordor, building LEGO Rivendell only uncovered welcome surprise after welcome surprise. Before we get into the nitty-gritty, I’ll answer the question topmost on everyone’s mind. Is The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell LEGO set worth the $500 price tag? Unequivocally, yes.

Jump to: The Build // The Gazebo // The Tower // The Council Ring // The Minifigures // Takeaways

LEGO Rivendell: The Build

The 6,167 LEGO piece Rivendell set itself took around 23 hours to complete, and that’s with at least two people working on it for the majority of the time. An experienced LEGO adventurer might be able to build it more quickly. But to give you a better perspective on the size of the project, here’s the three-part instruction that came with LEGO Rivendell up against The Fellowship of the Ring. Don’t tell Tolkien, but the instruction books are giving him a run for his money.

But miraculously, no two sections of the three-part build or 49 bags of LEGOs are the same. As Bilbo would say, “You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.” The designers of LEGO Rivendell clearly understand that the journey is the adventure. At times, we found ourselves crafting almost Star Wars-like works of machinery; at others, we built graceful trees and put together tiny mushrooms, and still, on occasion, we found ourselves putting together a hidden fireplace that took two hours and dozens of pages to complete. But isn’t that what the elves would want?

The Gazebo with River

The Gazebo area of The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell set was likened to a Tetris game by its builders. Nothing came together how you thought it would exactly, but everything fit in some bizarrely interesting way that intriguingly lacked all symmetry. This part seemed more emotional, more about the feeling of the build than it was strictly technical. And that makes a lot of sense because it fully captures the beauty of Rivendell’s nature. The bubbling river is made of dozens of different kinds of blue and whites, and there are at least ten shades of green in this section of Rivendell alone.

LEGO really delivered a certain sensation of gorgeous wilderness in this area. It evokes the sensation of being lost in the woods, and that’s perfect for Rivendell. It’s also critical to note that the glow-in-the-dark mushrooms were a big hit.

Rivendell’s gazebo and iconic bridge also come perfectly to life in LEGO form. A note in the instruction books offers that the base for the gazebo was one of the most challenging geometric designs the designers faced in this model, and that’s felt. But the gazebo quickly goes from Death Star in the base build to ornate artistry as all its lines and shapes come together to an unbelievable finish.

The Tower

From the intertwining lines of the gazebo, we departed to the more geometric build of the tower. Alongside making sure every major part was different, LEGO Rivendell’s design also took care that sections alternated from difficult to easy. One minute, you’d nervously be flipping pieces and anxiously crossing your fingers everything fit, and the next, you’d be merrily tiling the roof.

As you continued to embark, little delights greeted you as a reward for your hard work. After a big base, you’d get to use stickers to craft Bilbo’s book. After a tricky axel, you could put together a bed and a couple of adorable lanterns.

Of course, the centerpiece of “The Tower” is the massive elven statue on the outside of it. Aside from being completely beautiful, the statue’s carved elves serve as bonus Minifigures. And you can imagine your favorite elf decorates the walls.

The Council Ring

By far, the biggest part of The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell LEGO build was the “The Council Ring.” In fact, it was more parts than the other two put together. But well worth it. Does Lord Elrond of Rivendell expect you to hand tile every bit of his floor? He certainly does.

The Council Ring’s attention to detail was literally awe-inspiring. Tiny desks, tiny candles, floor mosaics, a garden bench, little bird statues, maps, a throne—if an elven kingdom needs it, you built it. But there’s nothing more satisfying than the way all these miniature works of art come together to form the whole. LEGO Rivendell even took care to create a LEGO version of Lembas bread that you could serve on the table. Of course, the entire structure is mind-blowing as well, a feat of physics and impeccable planning.

All of that said, one of the most notable portions of this LEGO build is easily its many kinds of trees. Never have I seen plastic trees so beautiful and so varied. The golden tree and the large multi-hued green tree are indescribably delicate and incredibly nuanced. Holding them in your hands, it really feels like you’ve created a little wonder.

The Minifigures

Who doesn’t love a minifigure? The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell is especially exciting when it comes to minifigures because LEGO hadn’t to date, released all the members of the Fellowship in such a way. The set comes with 15 Minifigures which you discover as you go. Included are Gandalf the Grey, Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee, Merriadoc “Merry” Brandybuck, Peregrin “Pippin” Took, Legolas, Gimli, Boromir, and Aragorn. And in addition, we get LEGO minifigures of Elrond, Arwen, Bilbo Baggins, plus additional elves and a dwarf (Gloin) are also included.

(We mistook Gloin for Gandalf when we first revealed him, but, you know, Frodo was sad about his death anyway.)

The figures come with adorable props and even some almost fabric-like cloaks. For instance, Sam has a frying pan, Frodo has the ring, Arwen has a book, and Merry and Pippin have their favorite snacks.

In addition, a brand new kind of hair or wig was made for The Lord of the Rings elf minifigures. The instruction book shares that “it was molded in two different materials to provide color for the hair and the ears separately.” The hobbits also received dual molded legs to show off their signature trait, their feet. And finally, every character was created so that they all have the option to sit or stand. Otherwise, how could they come to sit in the council to discuss matters of the Ring?

The Rivendell set is amazing, but having this many minifigures allows it to also be cinematic. With all of your favorite The Lord of the Rings characters at hand, this LEGO build can tell many stories.

Takeaways about The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell

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In sum, The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell set is worth it. It is challenging but fun, technical but beautiful. Even though I was a complete LEGO beginner and this is an exceptionally complex set, I never felt overwhelmed. If I did make an error in my The Lord of the Rings build, the set ensured I discovered it quickly and could correct it with relative ease. I felt like LEGO had taken care of every question and thought before I even had to consider it. For example, when tiling the roof, LEGO provided an ingenious way to get all the tiles straight by using a different piece of LEGO. The structural builds were gravity-defying and exciting, but the small details really touched my heart.

Looking back, it’s hard to believe I built all that. And even though 23 hours is a long time, it never once felt tiresome. So would I journey there and back again and again to The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell? In a heartbeat.

The post LEGO’s LOTR: Rivendell Set Takes You on an Epic Quest with Majestic Results appeared first on Nerdist.

An all-new version of our favorite baddie Bowser will join the world of LEGO. To celebrate MAR10 Day 2023, LEGO revealed a new collaboration with the Super Mario franchise, the LEGO Super Mario Dry Bowser Castle Battle Expansion Set. LEGO has designed this villainous expansion set to work with its other Super Mario sets. And the build brings to life a whole new character and setting for fans to enjoy. Not to mention, it comes complete with devilish fire, many fangs, and a few hidden surprises.

The 1,321-piece Bowser set will surely delight fans. Builders must rescue the adorable Purple Toad from the evil Dry Bowser’s lair… If they can get past the equally cute Bone Goomba, of course. Can’t these two just join hands in cuteness and get along? Of course, we can’t forget about Magmaargh in that alliance. And the set promises to offer “action-fuelled missions and endless play possibilities” for LEGO’s interactive Mario, Luigi, and Peach.

Didier Agani, Senior Interactive Play Designer on LEGO Super Mario, shares:

At the LEGO Group, we celebrate the Super Mario universe every day, but we’re delighted to do something extra special to mark MAR10 Day. We’re so excited to reveal the LEGO® Super Mario™ Dry Bowser Castle Battle Expansion Set. Set in an iconic Super Mario location, fans are tasked to find the secret entrance (just watch out for the Magmaargh!), defeat the Bone Piranha Plant and Bone Goomba, use the crane to rescue the Purple Toad, then quickly grab the key. What lays behind the door is secret – you’ll have to wait and see what’s revealed!

Okay, we love a challenge… And a secret entrance… And a reveal! We have to know what awaits us in LEGO Dry Bowser’s castle. But we’ll have to wait a little longer to find out. The set releases on August 1. It will cost $109.99.

In addition to this fun new expansion set, LEGO has teased other Super Mario surprises. This year we’ll get a brand new brick-built character, Donkey Kong. We can’t wait to put that one on the shelf. We just hope that he and Dry Bowser don’t get into a brawl of epic proportions.

The post Rescue Purple Toad in New SUPER MARIO Dry Bowser LEGO Set appeared first on Nerdist.

A number of characters and moments have become quintessentially Disney over the years. And with Disney celebrating its 100th anniversary, that means the company has a whole vault of inspiration. LEGO pulled from the Disney’s history to choose movies and characters for their new Disney100 collection. The line-up features some adorable BrickHeadz, a Disney LEGO minifigure blind bag collection, and our favorite: the house from Up.

Carl and Ellie’s house from Pixar’s Up is iconic. The pastel-hued home combines coziness with quirkiness. We’d move into the Up house any day. Since that’s not possible though, we’ll happily build it instead. The LEGO Up house goes on sale on April 1 for $59.99. It has 598 pieces and comes with minifigs of Carl, Russell, and Dug. We’re daydreaming about a version that fits with our LEGO City buildings.

As for the newest batch of Disney LEGO minfigs, look how cute they are. With Baymax, Robin Hood, Stitch, and Tiana, it’s going to be tempting to buy a whole box to make sure you get every minifig. These blind bags go on sale on May 1 for $4.99 each.

The post Feel All the Feels When You Build This LEGO UP House appeared first on Nerdist.

Years after Charlie Cox starred as Daredevil in the series of the same name on Netflix, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law brought him back to the small screen. Cox briefly appeared as the MCU’s Matt Murdock in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Then he reprised the role in a big way for She-Hulk, returning as Murdock as well as the Man Without Fear. Daredevil’s return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe brought the gift of a new costume, too. The mustard yellow and red suit nods to Daredevil’s original costume in Marvel Comics. And now we can get an ever closer look at that costume thanks to Hot Toys’ Daredevil figure.

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The newly-announced Daredevil sixth scale figure has all the signature details you’d expect from Hot Toys. The face sculpt looks just like Charlie Cox. The Daredevil costume is screen accurate, complete with weathering details. Hot Toys’ Daredevil figure has over 30 points of articulation and several accessories. Those accessories include:

• Ten (10) pieces of interchangeable gloved hands, including:
• One (1) pair of fists
• One (1) pair of relax hands
• One (1) pair of hands for holding Billy Club
• Two (2) pairs of gesture hands
• One (1) pair of Billy Clubs
• One (1) Billy Club in extended mode
• One (1) Billy Club in nunchaku mode
• One (1) pair of sunglasses (detachable)

You can place a pre-order for Hot Toys’ Daredevil figure through Sideshow. The collectible is expected to ship between April and September 2024.

The post Hot Toys’ DAREDEVIL Figure Captures His SHE-HULK Look appeared first on Nerdist.

But can you really put a price on cuddles? Well, you can. And that price is $420, to be exact, if you want to pre-order this new Pokémon Wailord plush. To be fair, you do get a lot of Poké plush for your buck. This cuddly Wailord measures 57 ¾ inches (4 ¾ feet) long. It’s a tenth of the size of the actual Wailord Pokémon… But that’s probably for the best.

A release shares:

Strap in for adventure on the high seas—or in your living room—and have a whale of a time with this massively massive Wailord plush! Measuring about 57 ¾ inches long, or about 1/10th the size of an actual Wailord in the Pokémon video games and animation, it makes a huge impression no matter where it goes.

Just maybe don’t actually take it into the ocean. This Wailord Pokémon plush will ship around early November 2023. And you can officially pre-order it now. It’ll be the perfect thing to imagine holding as you cry bittersweet tears and say goodbye to Ash and Pikachu in their final episodes. Ahoy, cuddles ahead.

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“Be a goldfish.” A.F.C. Richmond’s players know why that’s good advice on the pitch, but for right now forget those words of wisdom entirely. (Get it? You get it.) You can forget about being a goldfish because right now Ted Lasso is focused on being a bear. And he’ll be the most perfect bear possible. Jason Sudeikis’ pleasant, mustachioed manager is getting his own plush doll from Build-A-Bear.

The most huggable coach in all of sports (real or fictional) is getting his very own huggable collectible. Starting today you can order a Ted Lasso plush doll exclusively from Build-A-Bear’s website. The standard bear comes with all of the soccer coach’s signature practice training attire. That includes his visor and official A.F.C. Richmond track suit. The soles of his paws also show off the name of his series and the team’s logo.

If you want a more authentic Ted Lasso experience you can also upgrade your plush doll with show appropriate accessories. That includes a football kit, a teacup (for garbage water), and a pink Biscuits with the Boss wristie. Combined with his mustache and sunglasses he looks ready no matter what Rebecca, his team, or his fellow coaches throw at him. Not to mention he’ll probably have all of his fellow stuffed animals rooting for him shortly after arriving.

Depending on how many accessories you opt for, Build-A-Bear’s Ted Lasso doll ranges anywhere from $44 to $63.50.

For now this is the only Ted Lasso doll in the collection. We hope to get more. (Especially one for Roy Kent, please and thank you.) But if you don’t want to wait and are looking to pair him with another bear you can always pick up Build-A-Bear’s Devilishly Cute Teddy when it’s back in stock. Simple dress him in a black suit and pretend he’s Nate the Great Terrible.

Sorry, we’re not ready to be a goldfish when it comes to Nate. With him we’re more likely to be a bear.

The post Bring TED LASSO Home With Build-A-Bear’s Newest Plush appeared first on Nerdist.

We’re still months away from the release of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, but Hasbro is dropping a huge collection of Indy action figures soon. There’s 3.75-inch retro versions of notable characters like Marion Ravenwood. She’s wearing the white frilly dress from Raiders of the Lost Ark of course, complete with a monkey sidekick. And there’s also a 2.5-inch series that includes Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s character) and Jürgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen) from the upcoming sequel. There’s some great details in the accessories, including snakes, grails, and even a giant boulder. All of the action figures come out in spring 2023 with some available for pre-sale from Target or Walmart soon. 

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There’s also a fancier set of 6-inch action figures that look like they share a remarkably good resemblance with the corresponding actor. There’s two dapper Indys, pictured below. One is Professor Jones from The Last Crusade and comes with his father’s diary, torch, and a shield. There’s also Club Obi Wan Indy from The Temple of Doom. His many accessories include a diamond, antidote, sword, urn, and flaming shish kabob. Truly, no detail is too small! The Walter Donovan (a.k.a. the villain from The Last Crusade) action figure comes complete with a false grail (way too shiny!). And you can swap out his head for a super-old version after he drinks from that golden chalice.  

Like the rest of us, so far Hasbro seems to be willfully ignoring that Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull ever existed. Other than the Mutt action figure we’re all waiting for, let’s hope there’s Henry Jones Sr., Sallah, and Short Round action figures next time they release new characters. And maybe some Indys with shirts that rip in a revealing manner.

Melissa is Nerdist’s science & technology staff writer. She also moderates “science of” panels at conventions and co-hosts Star Warsologies, a podcast about science and Star Wars. Follow her on Twitter @melissatruth.

The post Hasbro’s New INDIANA JONES Figures Are Ready for Adventure appeared first on Nerdist.

Gotta squish ’em all? The wait is nearly over! Like all things Pokémon, the new Squishmallow Pikachu and Gengar are hot commodities. Fans can’t wait to get their hands on the squeezable stuffies, which will go on sale at Target and Walmart stores in February 2023. A few lucky buyers managed to get the Pokémon Squishmallows early when Walmart stores accidently put them out on shelves. Based on the reviews from people who own the Squishmallows already, they’re the best friends and most squishable things they’ve ever had. Combined with their hard-to-get status and Walmart’s snafu, the Pokémallows are highly coveted. Plus, just look at those faces and round bodies. It’s the must-squeeze item of the season!

Gengar and Pikachu in Squishmallow form were first shown off at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2022. But fans could only view them in glass cases, no hugging or squishing allowed. Not to mention bouncing. The TikTok below shows off just how delightfully they bounce. They finally went on sale in November with a limited run of the 12-inch version selling for $29.99 each. Predictably, those were gone almost instantly. But the good news, which we saw thanks to Polygon, is that more are coming. While details are sparse, there will be versions in various sizes from 3.5 to 24 inches tall. Eventually, more Squishmallow Pokémon characters will also be released. Fingers crossed for Charizard and Sylveon to make the cut.

Squishmallow has other huggable critters, including the very cute and squeezable kaiju like Godzilla and Mothra. If you’re not able to get your mitts on one of the Pokémon, there’s lots of other squishable versions. Cuddle up in a Snorlax or Ditto bean bag chair. Spoon your very own Pikachu body pillow. And don’t forget about this Gengar pillow, complete with tongue blanket. Thankfully, there’s lots of ways to cuddle Pokémon.

Melissa is Nerdist’s science & technology staff writer. She also moderates “science of” panels at conventions and co-hosts Star Warsologies, a podcast about science and Star Wars. Follow her on Twitter @melissatruth.

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Joy of joys! If you’re awfully fond of rubber duckies, now they can follow you out of the bathtub and onto your keyboard. Add just one Duckeys keycap to your favorite key or go ahead and swap out the whole alphabet. They even come in a rainbow of colors, like in the Instagram post below. Be more like Ernie from Sesame Street (or Benoit Blanc for that matter) and show off your love for the classic squeaky toy. You can even add a quack noise to every keystroke for maximize rubber duck enjoyment. 

There are also some that come with silly headwear like a cowboy hat, crown, or chef’s hat. The latest theme is winter, offering a duck with its head frozen in a block of ice or one wearing a scarf. Perfect for typing up those out of office messages before curling up on the couch with a cup of cocoa.  

Swapping out the entire set of alphanumeric keys will really put your typing skills to the test remembering which key is which. If your muscle memory is not great but you still want a fun keyboard, there’s a Ghostbusters keycap set and a LEGO keyboard you can build on. But if you’re confident you can keep it straight, why not try the Star Wars version in Aurebesh? Or a keyboard in the Elvish or Dwarvish languages from Lord of the Rings? 

If even this duckie overload isn’t enough for you, never fear. There are plenty of rubber ducks out there to keep you company. They even come dressed as some of our favorite pop culture characters, like Lord of the Rings heroes and villains. There’s also officers from both Star Trek: The Next Generation and the original series, as well as characters from Jaws and Jurassic Park. Rubber duckies sure do make everything lots of fun! 

Melissa is Nerdist’s science & technology staff writer. She also moderates “science of” panels at conventions and co-hosts Star Warsologies, a podcast about science and Star Wars. Follow her on Twitter @melissatruth.

The post A Rubber Duckie Keyboard Brings a Splash of Fun to Typing appeared first on Nerdist.

What if we lived inside The LEGO Movie? A few things would certainly be different. For example, Chris Pratt would be a leading man, Will Arnett would be our favorite Batman, and every part of the world around us would be made of LEGO. Maybe our reality isn’t so different after all. The Brick Wall YouTube channel seems to believe in a world where LEGO Technic pieces can build anything and everything. And that includes items like the washing machine they assemble in the video below. It’s quite a complicated build just to wash six socks, but there’s no denying that it does the job.

The business of washing socks seems like quite the undertaking with this project, which we came across on Laughing Squid. Technic pieces hold and rotate a plastic drum. Mechanisms pour a metal water bottle and detergent into wash to ensure a hands-free operation. It’s even capable of draining the water between cycles.

Removing the excess water proves to be a big obstacle though, as spinning the drum just isn’t enough. Why not try squeezing the socks on a conveyer belt and rollers? When that doesn’t work, there’s yet another overly complicated solution. A device picks up one sock at a time and holds it by the toe. Once it’s loaded up, it spins very quickly and you can see the water streaming right out of the socks. We’re not sure if the minifigure riding a LEGO alligator is a necessary part of the contraption, but we love it. 

Other wacky but effective LEGO automations we’ve seen from The Brick Wall YouTube channel include a pizza making factory and one that makes pancakes. Another interesting washing machine-related story we covered recently is the tiny version from Lay’s that automatically washes your fingertips after eating greasy chips. Clean socks, full bellies, can’t lose! 

Melissa is Nerdist’s science & technology staff writer. She also moderates “science of” panels at conventions and co-hosts Star Warsologies, a podcast about science and Star Wars. Follow her on Twitter @melissatruth. 

The post This LEGO Technic Washing Machine Works, Takes Much Longer appeared first on Nerdist.

In the movie Sabrina, Audrey Hepburn famously says, “Paris is always a good idea.” We here at Nerdist say that building LEGO sets is also always a good idea. Now you can combine the two and assemble the tallest set in LEGO history, the Eiffel Tower. It uses 10,001 pieces and comes in at nearly five feet tall. With that monster height comes a big price tag. The set costs $629 and also includes greenery, lamp posts, and benches for the park underneath. The only missing detail is a gaggle of selfie-taking tourist minifigures to complete the illusion that you’re in Paris. You’ll have to repurpose those from other sets. 

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The epic build, which we saw on My Modern Met, even mirrors the real-life construction. The LEGO set comes apart into four pieces to make building and transporting easier. The actual Parisian landmark was built in the same four stages. The enchanting recreation includes details like the famous arches and observation decks. There’s even a French flag waving on top. When you zoom in on these finer details, you may also notice an unexpected addition. As one fan pointed out, the railing pieces are just gray versions of LEGO hot dogs. We wonder what the French would make of that. Even though it’s just one more example of LEGO ingenuity, somehow it also seems like a bit of an insult.

LEGO’s Icons series includes other landmark builds, such as the Great Pyramid of Giza and the Roman Colosseum. There’s also historical sets like a massive Titanic, Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night, and a globe that actually spins. If you prefer to build the officially licensed sets for your favorite fandoms, other epic builds include Doctor Strange’s Sanctum Sanctorum, Super Mario‘s Bowser, and a two foot tall AT-AT from Star Wars. 

Melissa is Nerdist’s science & technology staff writer. She also moderates “science of” panels at conventions and co-hosts Star Warsologies, a podcast about science and Star Wars. Follow her on Twitter @melissatruth.

The post Epic LEGO Eiffel Tower Is the Tallest Set Yet appeared first on Nerdist.

Setting up Hot Wheels tracks was always a lot of fun, especially making super long or complicated ones. As a kid, that usually meant using all your track pieces or building a course that went under the couch and came out the other side. Now that former NASA engineer Mark Rober is in the game, the bar is much higher. He and his team set a new world record with a track that is over a half mile long. It travels up and down staircases, through walls, and back and forth on countless switchbacks.

Though the video above doesn’t say exactly how long the track is, Rober does specify that it’s more than half a mile long. The previous Guinness World record was just under half a mile, so that should do it. The previous record holder also just went in a straight line down a road. This indoor course is a lot more fun to watch. Rober also mentions that the team used more than 75 Hot Wheels speed boosters for this long track, which are allowed. It looks like there’s one at every switchback on the epic wall the car travels down as part of the course. 

Mark Rober and the Crunch Labs team also own a couple of other world records. You can learn more about them on their YouTube channel. They set up the most dominoes using a rover-like robot and made the highest elephant toothpaste tower. Other engineering feats they’ve pulled off include squirrel obstacle courses and the ever-popular glitter bombs for package thieves.  

Another DIY Hot Wheel world record we’ve seen topple recently is the most loop-the-loops. Other people have also set up epic backyard tracks, including a treetop version. If you prefer your Hot Wheels officially licensed, there’s sets like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Mario Kart, and Star Wars to please any racing fan.  

Melissa is Nerdist’s science & technology staff writer. She also moderates “science of” panels at conventions and co-hosts Star Warsologies, a podcast about science and Star Wars. Follow her on Twitter @melissatruth.

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It’s important for everyone to have a hobby. Some people hike, others bake or write. For his part, YouTuber Grant Davis makes overly complicated LEGO Technic builds. And lots of people watch them. His latest is a satisfyingly infinite loop of dominoes falling and being set up again. He makes every part of the contraption out of LEGO—the dominoes, the gears, and even the shiny gold lettering. Davis estimates that it uses 4,000 pieces, including magnets from old LEGO train sets. He spent over 300 hours of his evenings and weekends making this machine for us all to enjoy.  

Based on the video above, it looks like getting the mechanism right took lots of trial and error and most of the total time involved. After all, there’s a lot to consider. And a lot of frustrated yelling when things don’t work or pieces go flying. But once he’s finally got it, and the arms smoothly knock over the dominoes and set them back up reliably, it’s just a matter of repeating the process.

Davis’ final machine uses 10 dominoes in a cycle that repeats every seven seconds. The math works out to 123,428 dominoes being knocked over and set back up every day. As he mentions in the video, that technically beats the world record held by Mark Rober, a former NASA engineer. Next up, Davis plans to test out a circular version of this domino contraption so that it’s a literal infinite loop. Look for that and other fun LEGO builds (including a wave machine!) on his YouTube channel.

If you prefer your LEGO Technic builds with more functional purpose, there’s one that assembles pizzas and tapas for you. And one that makes a hot cup of coffee! Much more useful if your hobbies include eating food and drinking caffeine.

Melissa is Nerdist’s science & technology staff writer. She also moderates “science of” panels at conventions and co-hosts Star Warsologies, a podcast about science and Star Wars. Follow her on Twitter @melissatruth. 

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You may think you know what you want as a gift this holiday season. But we’re here to tell you, there might be one thing you forgot to tell Santa about. Something you just never knew you needed until this moment. Thanks to Boing Boing, we’ve discovered the existence of the “Loving Bear Puffy.” Essentially, the Loving Bear Puffy is an emotional support man-sized Teddy bear. For those nights when you just need to hug a strange half-human/half-stuffed animal hybrid to make yourself feel better.

According to the official description, “Loving Bear Puffy is a plush figure in the shape and size of a male human body, but with the head of a half-asleep bear. What makes Puffy unique and different from all stuffed toys is his human body shape. He is the perfect gift both for you and for any loved one who is going through lonely moments, emotional trials, and feelings of emptiness.” Yeah, they didn’t describe any of that in a super creepy way at all. But for those of you out there intrigued and not freaked out, Loving Bear Puffy can be yours for $144.

Although they show Loving Bear Puffy wearing clothes, the manufacturer’s website stresses that he does, in fact, arrive naked. So you’re going to have to find clothes in the right size for him yourself. (Or herself, who says it can’t be a girl bear?) At least Loving Bear doesn’t weigh all that much.

According to the official site, it only weighs 3.2 grams. The final words about Loving Bear on the site just add to the creep factor. “He becomes part of the family and is always at home waiting for you. He doesn’t snore, he doesn’t sweat, and… he doesn’t complain.” I don’t know, we feel a future horror movie about Loving Bear is going to happen someday.

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With one new set of action figures, Hasbro manages to tap into nostalgia from not only both ’80s and ’90s kids, but also fans of the current Netflix hit Cobra Kai. The mashup comes in the form of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers action figures combined with the characters from Cobra Kai. These mashup figures are three new additions to the ongoing Power Rangers Lightning Collection. Check out the pictures in the gallery below to see what it looks like when two martial arts powerhouse franchises come together. The Cobra Kai meets Power Rangers action figures are available now for pre-order from Target. The figures, which cost $27.99 each, will ship in April 2023.

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Daniel LaRusso a.k.a. the White Crane, is shown in his signature pose from 1984’s The Karate Kid. His daughter on Cobra Kai, Sam LaRusso, is the Pink Mantis Power Ranger. They both represent the Miyagi-Do dojo, of course. But it wouldn’t be complete without an opponent, and that’s where the third action figure comes in. Skeleputty combines the iconic Putty Patrollers from Power Rangers with the Cobra Kai team’s skeleton costumes from the original movie.

The LaRusso figures morph from Cobra Kai characters to Power Rangers thanks to swappable pieces. They all also come with two sets of hands for poseable action shots. There are even blast effects so you can add to the drama of each matchup. Whether they are sparring with their friends or facing off against their rival groups from the Cobra Kai and Miyagi-do dojos, there are unlimited ways to stage each fight. And if you’re more of an Eagle Fang fan, it sounds like more Power Rangers/Cobra Kai mash-up action figures will come soon.

This isn’t the first Karate Kid or Mighty Morphin Power Rangers mashup, of course. Cobra Kai also got a LEGO minifig tribute. And who could forget the Nerdist and Megazord action figure? Or, if you’re looking for the classics, you could always collect the retro ’90s action figures.

Melissa is Nerdist’s science & technology staff writer. She also moderates “science of” panels at conventions and co-hosts Star Warsologies, a podcast about science and Star Wars. Follow her on Twitter @melissatruth. 

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The largest and most expensive LEGO Marvel set ever sold is about to hit stores. The original Hulkbuster suit is now a 21-inch high build out of 4,049 bricks. It requires a battery for the light-up arc reactor in the chest and the repulsors in both hands. No word on if it comes with sleeping gas or jackhammer arms. The $550 set goes on sale November 9, 2022 (or a few days earlier if you sign up for a LEGO VIP account). It includes a Tony Stark minifigure. However, the suit is actually to scale with the 381-piece Iron Man figure (sold separately), which fits into the cockpit.

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This is Iron Man’s Mark XLIV suit from Avengers: Age of Ultron. There’s also the later version in the MCU, the Mark XLVIII, a.k.a. Hulkbuster 2.0, is the suit Bruce Banner dons in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame when he isn’t able to Hulk out.

Gizmodo brought this mega-build to our attention. LEGO used to offer other smaller and more affordable versions of the Hulkbuster suit though they all seem to have been retired and are no longer for sale. While it’s nowhere near the largest mecha robot in pop culture, the Hulkbuster is LEGO’s largest Marvel build to date. But it doesn’t even make the top 10 biggest LEGO sets, which includes Star Wars, Harry Potter, and even some real-life builds like the Roman Colosseum and R.M.S. Titanic.

If you’re looking for more Marvel LEGO sets, other recent ones include a Black Panther bust, the Sanctum Sanctorum, and a dancing Baby Groot. But beware of spoilers, because some LEGO builds definitely include plot points for upcoming movies!

Melissa is Nerdist’s science & technology staff writer. She also moderates “science of” panels at conventions and co-hosts Star Warsologies, a podcast about science and Star Wars. Follow her on Twitter @melissatruth.

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I know I’m not the only one who coveted Power Wheels growing up. Those battery-powered Barbie cars or Jeeps were the ultimate toy and the kids who had them seemed so happy. Now there’s a ride-on car perfect for winter with the Zamboni from Kool Karz Playground. In the video below, a young fan takes one for a ride on the ice for the Tampa Bay Lightning’s hockey rink. The kid-sized Zamboni retails for $349 and is designed for kids ages three to eight and weighing up to 55 pounds. It comes too late for us adults, but we’re supposed to make a better world for our children, right? You’re welcome, little hockey fans.

We first learned about the Zamboni thanks to ESPN. The vehicle itself is blue and white but it comes with an NHL sticker set so young fans can customize it. The front compartment can hold toys, or maybe some snow if you actually put the rider to work. There’s headlights, a horn, and a music player to make all the other neighborhood kids jealous.

Kool Karz Playground also sells ride-on versions of ATVs and car that look like Audis, Jaguars, and other brands. Meanwhile, Mattel’s Power Wheels line is still going strong, with everything from a Jurassic Park Jeep to the Barbie Dream Campervan.   

Some people who still covet these cars from their childhood convert them into versions for adults rather than just buy them for their kids and live vicariously. For example, someone added a real engine to a Barbie Power Wheels to make it go 70 miles per hour. Someone else converted a real car into a full-sized Little Tykes roadster and drives it around town. That’s one way to recapture a sense of childlike wonder.

Melissa is Nerdist’s science & technology staff writer. She also moderates “science of” panels at conventions and co-hosts Star Warsologies, a podcast about science and Star Wars. Follow her on Twitter @melissatruth. 

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Forty years ago, the minds at Mattel Toys had a brilliant idea. Combine the aesthetics of Conan the Barbarian with the sci-fi action of Star Wars for a new line of action figures. The result was Masters of the Universe, a toyline that gave birth to a franchise. Although the line’s popularity was most prominent in the ’80s, the kids who grew up with He-Man and Skeletor’s eternal struggle never forgot. Masters of the Universe continues to grow to this day.

On September 29, Mattel toys invited Nerdist and other outlets to a special celebration of Masters of the Universe‘s 40th anniversary. Mattel gave us a preview of several additions to the line for 2023. Not only did we see the new toys and behind-the-scenes details on the toys’ creation, we also got a special Masters of the Universe tour of Mattel HQ in El Segundo, California. Including a peek into Mattel’s “Eternia Room.” There, the company archives 40 years of Masters of the Universe products. You can see the Eternia Room below:

Currently, the toyline exists in three different forms. There’s a line aimed at younger kids, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. Another line recreates the look and feel of the original ’80s toys, Masters of the Universe: Origins. Finally, there’s the deluxe 7″ Masterverse line. That one features high-end versions of the characters from across the franchise’s history. That collection includes many characters from the recent Netflix series Masters of the Universe: Revelation. Below are the revelations (no pun intended) for Masters of the Universe‘s 2023 releases.

Masterverse New Adventures of He-Man Skeletor Figure

This 7″ scale figure has a premium sculpt and deco inspired by the New Adventures series. The Skeletor figure contains 30+ points of articulation, a cape, his iconic staff, as well as a removable helmet. It pairs with the spring 2023 release of New Adventures He-Man. Masterverse Skeletor arrives fall 2023, at US Target stores.

Masterverse Deluxe Revelation Duncan Figure

The former Man at Arms arrives in a 7″ scale figure with premium sculpt and deco from the Revelation Netflix show. The Duncan figure contains 30+ points of articulation, and includes additional heads, hands, armor pieces, weapon accessories, and a softgoods cape. Duncan arrives spring 2023 in US Target stores.

Origins Ground Ripper and Mekaneck Figure and Vehicle

Ground Ripper & Mekaneck is a hero vehicle from the original toyline and one of the most recognizable single-rider vehicles. It includes real rolling wheels and an alternate road ripper head based on one of the original He-Man designer’s concept art. It comes with Mekaneck figure, a character not yet released in Origins. It’ll be available in spring 2023 in mainline retail.

Origins Frog Monger Figure

First introduced to Masters of the Universe in the ’80s as a label sticker for the Castle Grayskull playset, this dungeon creature eventually made its way to packaging art . Then fan demand spurred the creation of this figure as a never-done-before Origins character.

In the 5.5” scale, Frog Monger comes with 16 points of articulation and dwells in the dungeon behind the walls of Castle Grayskull. The figure comes with a blaster weapon and backpack accessory alongside in mini comic in the package. Frog Monger will be available in spring 2023 from Mattel Creations, priced at $18.

Origins Anti-Eternia He-Skeletor Figure

The DC Comics Multiverse inspires this 5.5” scale Anti-Eternia He-Skeletor figure of Keldor. The figure comes with 16 points of articulation and includes the iconic power sword, battleaxe, and shield accessories. The package includes a mini-comic. He-Skeletor arrives in spring 2023 via Mattel Creations, for a price of $18.

Origins Flocked Moss Man Figure

Origins Moss Man arrives in 5.5” scale with highly authentic flocked detailing. He comes with a textured feel and authentic pine smell. Moss Man features 20+ points of articulation and comes with mace weapons, a harness, and an additional head. Moss Man arrives in spring 2023 at Walmart in the US.

Origins Snake Mountain Playset

This collector-must-have iconic fortress pays homage to the vintage ’80s product while making it bigger and better. Snake Mountain has improved displayability with additional stairs/walkways proportionate to Origins figures. It includes a swappable Filmation series facade for multiple ways to play and display. Plus the set includes a trap door feature, additional play areas, and multiple accessories. Snake Mountain hits mainline retail in fall 2023.

Origins Eternia Crowdfund Playset

The greatest Masters of the Universe playset of the 1980s returns. Eternia arrives in a massive 3 feet by 4 feet size for an epic display. It comes with a working monorail with battery-powered battle tram, sky cage, and jet-pack fighter. Additional features include an elevator, command center with battle dummy, trap door, lunging snake head, working lion’s head gate with grabbing claws, turret, flags, and labels. You can reconfigure the monorail to just circle the single center tower for maximum display possibilities. The playset comes with a deluxe mini-comic.

We’re certain these reveals are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Masters of the Universe. He-Man, Skeletor, and the rest of Eternia’s heroes and villains are clearly just getting started.

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