So I can finally breathe again. July 17th came and went and Ant-Man did NOT break the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The film that people were sure was going to be Marvel Studio’s first misstep instead deftly sprang past negative expectations, mustering its considerable charm and humor to give the world yet another hero to cheer for. Was I nervous? You bet your cybernetic helmet I was! Hey, there was a lot riding on the little guy. Would Edger Wright’s departure make the film damaged goods in the eyes of die-hard fans? Would film-goers accept such a seemingly-goofy character? And most importantly, was the world ready for more Marvel so soon after Avengers 2? Turns out I needn’t have worried. Ant-Man has earned over $326 million so far, and has yet to open in Asia. Audiences have clearly embraced the character.
Like 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Ant-Man was definitely a gamble. Unlike GotG, Ant-Man had a lot of baggage going in. For decades the character had been a goof, the butt of a never-ending pop-culture joke. He was mocked by comedians, he was mocked by other super heroes — GoBots got more respect than Ant-Man. He’d been reduced to a punchline, an mpeg from Saturday Night Live and the target of barely-literate keyboard fungus titillated by the concept of domestic violence. The idea that Disney and Marvel were throwing in behind Pym and company was crazy to me, and I was a fan! And yet…
When it comes to Ant-Man I’ve seen a sprinkling of product, but not nearly to the extent of previous Marvel movies. There are no pending Ant-games for your video game console, no Ant Jordans to wear or Ant-Meals at McDonalds. But there are action figures, specifically from Hasbro. Released under the Marvel Legends Infinite Series banner, the Ant-Man line is comprised of Ant-Man, Giant-Man, Wasp, Bulldozer, Tiger Shark, Grim Reaper and a Build-a-Figure of Avengers 2: AoU Ultron.
So how is this series doing at retail? Its hard to say. I don’t think it has the immediate draw of last summer’s Guardians of the Galaxy line. Wisely, Hasbro made one of that film’s key members the Build-a-Figure, ensuring that consumers would buy the entire line to complete the team. Ant-Man, meanwhile, gets a a few new figures, some odds and ends and a hand-me-down BaF in the form of Ultron, the big bad from Avengers 2.
I guess this is Hasbro attempting to play it safe. After all, 5 out of 7 Guardians of the Galaxy offerings were movie figures and required all-new tooling, which was a substantial investment and risk. Movie Ant-Man is the only newly-tooled figure in his series, with the rest of the set knocked together as inexpensively as possible. Sure, we’re seeing the debut of the new bigger Grim Reaper body here, but we all know Hasbro doesn’t do new bodies unless they have half a dozen uses lined up for them right out of the gate. Bulldozer and Tiger Shark were holdovers from years previous, the Wasp is merely a new head and wings on the Spider-Girl figure. Giant-Man is so basic its almost criminal. What I’m saying is, is a pretty bare bones assortment.
The Ant-Man & Ant set has some of the worst QC in recent memory. I’m surprised Hasbro hasn’t withdrawn this item from retail — the toy actually falls apart when you play with it. This is unforgivable on so many levels: as a consumer, who expects equal value in exchange for his money: as a parent, when I have to explain to my child why her cool new toy can’t stand up: as a fan and collector because, gosh darn it, how hard is it to get right the first time? Surely Hasbro knows that a toy that’s molded in one position is preferable to one that drops to pieces when you breathe on it. I wish I had a video to show you, as words fail. Definitely in the running for Worst Toy of the Year.
Retail wasn’t the only place you could find Ant-Man. San Diego ComiCon ’15 offered an Exclusive Ant-Man Pack and it was a pretty mixed bag. Excitement at getting these incarnations of the character are mitigated by the end result. Re-use and minimal paint apps plagued the set, making what should have been slam dunks mere placeholders. That didn’t stop it from selling out, though: it seems to be going for $30 to $50 over its original price on the secondary market.
To get those bitter dregs out of our mouths, Walgreens leapt to the rescue with their exclusive Black Ant figure. Its an out-of-left-field choice, but a welcome one. With his vibrant paint and streamlined design, Black Ant looks slick in a modern Avengers or villains display, especially since the Pizza Spidey body he’s built on can hit some appropriately-insect-like poses. Its a nice way to round out this cycle, although I’m not alone in hoping we eventually see a classic Ant-Man utilizing some of these pieces.
So it all worked out. Even if the Ant-Man product lingers throughout the next few months, its already performed better than an unmitigated failure like Green Lantern. If I had to guess I’m thinking we’re going to be seeing quite a few Wasps on the pegs, with lots of Giant Ants to keep her company, but sales and holiday shoppers should hopefully clear most of this away for new product. Overall, I’m happy with Ant-Man’s action figure showing. I got a decent-looking (if screen-inaccurate) representation of the movie version of Scott Lang, a lovely Wasp and a bunch of so-so Hank Pyms. Would I like to see another wave? Absolutely. But I’m not sure retail could absorb it. I’m just going to be thankful for the nice range of figures we did get, and then prepare for whatever Marvel and Hasbro have for us next. Hmmm, I hear Ant-Man is in Captain America: Civil War…
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