We’ve been making prediction this week as to what new toys we might expect to see displayed at this year’s SDCC. A couple figures on this list have been hinted at or even outright shown, so they’re no-brainers. But extrapolating beyond that is not an easy thing. Looking at what’s been released since Hasbro reinvigorated their 6-inch line, you can find a few themes with an actual emphasis on finally completing teams and getting out some long overdue fan-demanded characters. With the Guardians of the Galaxy movie on the horizon and the release of Drax and Rocket Raccoon, picking another Guardian member might seem like an easy bet, but that’s hard to say for sure.
So let’s take all we know and see if I can come up with a reasonably logical five figures that have a chance. After SDCC has come and gone, we can see if I hit the mark or failed miserably. Applause or pointing and laughing can commence in a week.
Luke Cage
Luke is the most well known of the amazing-looking modern SDCC Thunderbolts set, and he hasn’t had a retail figure in a very long time. We know Hasbro has a history of introducing a figure at SDCC and then releasing a slightly redecoed version of that figure (Thor, X-Force Wolverine, X-Force Archangel) later on at retail. While part of me wants to say that Ghost may have a shot at that, I think there’s a significantly larger amount of people that want a Luke Cage in their collection that may not be able to swing the SDCC set. So Luke Cage hits the bottom slot with a guess that the first or second wave of 2014 will see a Luke Cage figure of some type. I’m betting on Luke over Ghost, which could very easily bite me in the ass, but I’m listening to Wesley Snipes and betting on black.
Starlord
With Drax and Rocket Raccoon out there already, and Guardians of the Galaxy quickly becoming the next big thing in tinseltown, Starlord seems like the next in line for his chance at immortilization. While Gamora would be a great use of this brand-spanking-new female body they’ve got, I’m going to give it to Starlord as the leader of the Guardians to make his debut at SDCC. Let’s hope they have the good sense to give him swappable heads, but even if they don’t, Starlord will make a snazzy addition to the line. Hell, if they wanted to go nuts, they could announce both Gamora and Starlord, but Starlord seems like the safer bet.
Magneto
It’s time. It really is time. Magneto is one of the few A-list villains left that has not had an exceptional figure, and it really is time to give him his due. There are hundreds of villains I could choose that I’d rather have ahead of him, to be honest, including huge chunks of Avengers villains or a certain Pym-created robot that still hasn’t had a definitive figure, but Marvel Legends is beginning to look ridiculous without a great Magneto figure for our collections. Keep the purple shorts and keep him classic, Hasbro, because anything else would be uncivilized. Truthfully, I’m glad Hasbro never got around to making that horrid abomination they were going to make on that underarticulated body they had going previously because that would have been a shame. Now’s the time, and the tools are there. Magneto. Do it.
Stryfe
Stryfe has been talked about for a while but hasn’t shown up yet, so I think it’s very possible we’ll be seeing a final prototype at SDCC. Stryfe is one of those decidedly ‘90s characters that causes some people to froth and foam with anger. When you’ve got a character that combines Liefeldian tendencies, cloning, overdesigned armor, huge mutant-event storytelling, a confusing backstory, alternate futures, Cable, X-Force, Liefeld, Liefeld, and more Liefeld, the end result is not going to be a happy singalong; it’s going to be a bunch of people shouting “Oh hell no!” at his inclusion in the line.
Batroc the Leaper
Batroc was another figure whose name was mentioned but no picture was shown. Whether he’s destined for a Captain America subline or for Marvel Legends proper, it doesn’t matter. Batroc the Leaper. That has to happen. Batroc is one of those niche, yet fan-favorite figures that would be exciting to finally have in figure form. Captain America can always use new bad guys, and with a movie coming out, more Cap-related figures is always a good thing.
So that’s my list. There are others that I’m hoping we’ll see — a new Captain America figure, Titania or Thundra using the new larger female body, among others — but I feel comfortable with this list of five as the most reasonable and the most likely. Last year Hyperion was the figure whose debut blew me away, and I’m hoping for a similar experience this time around. Who knows, maybe I’ll finally get that Gladiator figure I’ve been whining about for umpteen years. That’s the specific magic of SDCC time: the dizzying highs, the crashing lows, the whining, the complaining, the condemnation, and the sparks of happiness that can be found amidst the drama.
