In arguably one of the biggest reveals of the entire 2015 San Diego Comic (for toys, at least), Mattel announced that they FINALLY have the rights to produce Thundercats action figures. They are letting the Four Horsemen loose to bring us a Matty Collector line in a Classics style similar to what they have done with their wildly popular Masters of the Universe line. I am so excited I can hardly stand it, and that enthusiasm is built purely on the three figures they have revealed thus far and the potential for what the line can bring us.
The first subscription is not up for sale yet as we are, unfortunately, still a year out from the first figure’s release date, but I would imagine we will be able to buy-in for a subscription sometime around Toy Fair in February. Now, if Mattel keeps with their new transparency model and follows the plans they laid out for MOTU Classics, we will know the entire lineup for the subscription before it goes on sale. Since the line does not begin until the second half of 2016, I think it is a pretty safe bet that we will be buying in for six monthly figures, plus the decayed-form Mumm-Ra sub exclusive. Since we have all the time in the world between now and then, I thought it might be fun to speculate about the potential lineup for the big first push and what characters might be likely for inclusion.
This first subscription is going to have to be a big splash. Mattel needs to get collectors hooked in, and the Matty team must show that the buying public is out there so they can start to go nuts on a full-year rollout. Thus, the first half-year lineup needs to be really strong, but a bit cautious as to not blow through all of the A-list characters right at the beginning. I expect that we will see some big guns to lure us in, but this is also a chance for Mattel to show the potential in bringing us things that we have never had before.
Taking what we know and attempting to balance out the rest of 2016, this is my stab at trying to figure out who will be included. Please keep in mind that this is pure speculation. It is just for fun and is completely hypothetical in its armchair-quarterbacking nature. The Thundercat’s roster is a lot bigger and more diverse than it gets credit for, so there is a certainly a large swath to choose from. Balancing that cast with the three characters already announced makes for deceivingly difficult task, especially if you are trying to account for all of the things that need to happen in the first six months.
So here is my proposed roster, by month, with the previously-announced Lion-O, Jackalman, and Decayed-Form Mumm-Ra built in.
July 2016: LION-O
We know this is happening. Even in the property itself was the only thing announced at SDCC and no figures were shown, we know that Lion-O will be first. There is no other character to start with, and since the Horsemen have completed his prototype, the Lord of the Thundercats cannot get here fast enough.
August 2016: JACKALMAN
Like with MOTU, the bad guys are my favorite for Thundercats, so I was absolutely thrilled to see this A-lister at Comic Con. He looks fantastic and I am so excited to build up the entire mutant troupe. I suppose there is a possibility that he might be released at a later month since no definitive information was given, but for now, I am keeping him in the second slot.
September 2016: BENGALI
Ah, now this is kind of an interesting pick, no? Bengali is one of the “new” Thundercats and certainly on most fans’ demanded list, but I think he falls a bit below A-list status. That being said, his overall design and vintage figure model makes his release in the first year intriguing. See, if Bengali is produced early on, that is like Matty and the Horsemen tipping their hats that Tygra is pretty much ready to go. Now, Bengali and Tygra are not straight-up repaints of each other, but there would be a LOT of part-sharing between the two, so Bengali could be a not so subtle hint that Tygra could be coming early on in the first full year. To me, it is kind of like getting an A-lister, without actually getting one. Either way, Bengali will be a really cool-looking figure.
Subscription Exclusive: “DECAYED FORM” MUMM-RA
The digital sculpt for this figure was shown at SDCC and it looks incredible. This makes for the perfect subscription figure and gives Mumm-Ra presence in the first sub, while still holding back on the “preferred” version.
October 2016: VULTUREMAN
In the mutant hierarchy of Third Earth, it goes S-s-s-lythe, Jackalman, Monkian, and then everyone else. However, Vultureman is right there on the cusp, and as far as the vintage toys were concerned, he was as prolific as just about anyone. I think Vultureman is a perfect fit for the first subscription because while he will make EVERYONE’s “Must Have” list, he allows us to save S-s-s-lythe and Monkian for later, and they had larger roles on the cartoon, at least early on. The Four Horsemen have certainly gotten their share of sculpting bird creatures over the last several years, so I am confident that Vultureman will really benefit from all of that experience. So I find him to be a great choice to stand beside Jackalman early in the line to take on Lion-O and . . .
November 2016: PANTHRO
Panthro! Okay, so I do think that we will need one more A-list character in the first subscription to make it a home run, and Panthro is my choice. Now, really, this slot could be filled by just about any A-lister, but I am picking Panthro because my own logic already eliminates Tygra and “Ever-Living” Mumm-Ra. Plus, he is my favorite Thundercat and I can be impatient waiting around. Honestly, I have never met any Thundercats fan who does not like Panthro, and he has a lot of great stuff going for him: his technical and fighting prowess, sagely wisdom, spiked suspenders, claw nunchucks, and a memorable cartoon voice. Plus, the young and headstrong Lion-O needs some experience to help him with those pesky mutants, so Panthro is the pick!
December 2016: WILLA
Wait, what? The hell you say! Okay, I am fully aware that some of you reading this right now are asking just who the hell this is, but give me a chance to make my case because this is actually my favorite pick of the entire lineup. If you don’t know who Willa is, go ahead and read up on her right now, we will wait. For those of you that do know this queen of the Warrior Maidens, I hope that you might be having that same “a-ha!” moment that I had whilst thinking this over. I think she is a really cool pick because she is a very popular character among the hardcore fans, and she never had a vintage figure. So, while most of the 2016 lineup will boast strong and new renditions of figures past, Willa would show that Matty is dead serious about going deep into this line and that they are willing to give us something we never had right from the get-go. For those of you who would scoff at ANY female coming into the line ahead of Cheetara, I ask that you kindly realize that you WILL get her no matter what, but, like it or not, she makes for a great hostage. Willa would instantly add diversity to your beginning T-Cats shelf, and most of her pieces could easily be reused to give us her sister Nayda. If she needed to be plussed-up a bit, maybe they could include one of the Berbils with her as a pack-in figure.
So those are my picks. Please sound off in the comments below to let me know yours! I think this is a very strong lineup for the first six months, but it also allows for many of the heavy-hitters to be spread out later in the line. Personally, I think the “Ever Living” Mumm-Ra figure would be the perfect place to kickoff 2017, so even if you don’t see your favorite character on here (I left off mine: S-s-s-lythe), have confidence that you should be getting him/her soon. Sigh . . . now we wait for next July. Hoooooooooo!
Additional Links
Youtube 2lL3Nrd8Ugc Listen to the interview at 1m30s mark
Hmmmm I love the thought you put into this list. However, as a hardcore ThunderCats fan who has gotten all excited, then burned all too often by new animation and collectible announcements. I think Mattel will need to come out swinging with the good stuff. The Bandai Classics line was a mess producing just three characters, Mumm-Ra, Lion-O, and Tygra, and not even all in the same scale. The Mezco line of large scale figures is finally making a Tygra to complete the main adult team, but it feels fans were barrrrrely granted that character, and there was a very long gap in production before his announcement. While I want to see all sorts of characters we have never seen in figure form produced, I care far more about the core heroes and villains, and I have yet to see any modern company deliver that with the ThunderCats license. Please don’t leave me with another incomplete classic T-Cats line up. It’s a must for me that the core figures get made before some sort of cancellation happens.
Lol. Yes it does.
Collection is looking sweet sir. I’ve got them loose, but nothing MOC.
Greetings! Careful,masterjedi. “Hate” leads to suffering.☺
Lol,how are you,Jedi-san?
I’m good. Tues and Wed I got a box of toys that were on clearance@ bbts and then my guardians set from EE. Don’t know where I’m gonna put it all but I will figure it out(pun intended)? I cast my fwoosh poll legends vote and realized I had to update it because 3 of my choices got made into figures! Misty Knight, Bro.Voodoo,and White Tiger!
Have you voted yet? Vote.
Sad I was at the canceling of modern Thundercats on cartoon network.?
I did manage to get the whole team in 4inch and Panthro and Lion-O 6″ though.?
Ive got those two in with my legends. See if you can spot them “where’s Waldo style.?
GL,
How are you brother? ? I really liked the Thundercats animated series that came out a few years back. Were you a fan? Unfortunately it met an untimely demise much like the 2001 MOTU. I hate when that happens.
I dunno – that list is a little TOO main faction A-List for me – 3 Cats in the first 6 months? I definitely agree on Willa though, as my thoughts for balance for 2016 leans toward 1 Cat, 1 Mutant, 1 Non-faction Hero, 1 Non-faction Villain, 1 Lunatak/Berzerker, 1 sub exclusive, and 1 “never before made figure”. I’d swap out Panthro & Vultureman for the following release schedule:
July – Lion-O
August – Jackalman
September – Safari Joe(PLEASE!!!!!) or Ratar-O
October – Mummy Mumm-Ra & Bengali
November – Chilla or Hammerhand
December – Willa
Since Willa fits both the never before made AND non-faction hero categories, I’d keep Bengali in the line up. Mostly due to the fact that he’s my LEAST wanted Cat, so I want to get him outta the way, and I can see 2 Cats in 6 months, but not 3.
that isn’t what it sounded like from the interview on the fwooshcast… but hey, you are rock steady
Lino-O and Jackalman are sample figures that were made by 4H long before the current rights acquisition by Mattel. They are shown just because 4H happen to have them already made in the same 6″ scale. They are to be considered beta forms of these figures and nowhere close to being production.
Cool list! I’d be down with that selection of characters. I agree they will probably hold of on all of the big guns at first. I also think it would be smart on Mattys part to give us one or two figs from the start that Bandai failed to. Without a doubt they need to come out swinging as far as quality goes because I don’t think TCats has as large a fanbase as MOTU and if the A-Listers aren’t out right away folks need to know that even the lower tier characters mixed in, while not being your choice, still makes for a great figure.
my guess besides what we know. maybe slithe , tigra since hits are he may be ready. worse a roberbear two pack and maybe panthro or mumra to round out the first wave for really can’t have lion o without his opposite. or maybe cheetara to have a female balance too.
It figures throwing in second string characters already. I just want the main heroes and villains to be done with the line. I don’t need all these extra side characters.
Bengali gets a figure first over Tygra because that makes so much sense right?
By the time the New Thundercats were introduced unfortunately the show quality jumped the shark and it’s best years and episodes behind it.
Mumm-Ra getting a dog?
A single lunatac breaking the sword?
Reforming there home planet?
And Mumm-Ra decides to follow them, even though he got what he wanted
and the Earth can be his again?
The new Thundercats excommunicated to live in a Tower and not the home base?
And the discovery and exploring of Earth and new things, like in the early episodes went away
and it mostly became simple bad vs good guy fights.
Excellent list! I concur!!!
I’ll confess I actually know far less about Thundercats than I do MOTU, but if they’re trying to attract *new* fans to Matty, they need to open with as strong a line-up as possible, especially if it’s only a 7 figure a year sub. MOTUC had He-Man, Teela, Man-at-Arms, Stratos, Zodac, Hordak, Skeletor, Beast Man, Tri-Klops, and Mer-Man out in the first year. I really doubt the line would have found traction if it had been peppered with C-level and prototype characters instead of the heavy hitters early on (and this is from someone that LOVES the C-characters and protocharacters. I very gleefully have every figure.)
But yeah, if I’m Matty then I’m planning this year to be chock full of heavy hitters and, if it’s a success, looking at expanding into B and C listers next year.
I’m on the threshold with these. Cheetara or Pumyra really should be one of the first 6. Seeing all of the first sub will probably put me over.
I think Panthro is a lock for the first 6 month sub. I do think it’s possible we might get the preferred Mumm-ra in this sub as well, simply because Lion-O without Mumm-Ra is like He-Man with out Skeletor. Fingers crossed that Jaga is the sub exclusive for 2017.
OMG! THEY DO HAVE THE EXTRA WRIST ARTIC! YES!!! Well… at least Jackalman does, can’t tell on Lion-O (the paint is thick).
Nice list of picks.