Two new huge collaborations ☠️
https://twitter.com/mcfarlanetoys/status/1895529515188961756
The doubts that McFarlane will continue the line ring true to me. Feel bad for folks who want the line to keep going but I'm ready to move on myself. Would love a Toys that Made Us style documentary about this some day.
This feels like a cheap shot but I don't mean it to be cruel, but I'm very used to starting a McFarlane line and ending up with an unfinished collection. Those Witcher and Critical Role/Vox Machina collections will always be a let down with out a lot of very obvious characters never made. and I LOVE his Geralt figures.
Of course this news happens now - after I literally just finished putting together my McF DC shelves and overpaying for important missing characters.
Still trying to sell off variants.
AT LEAST Todd gave Batman & Robin the great figures they always deserved. I'll always have that beautiful Poison Ivy.
Honestly, this is kind of what I needed. I've been on the fence about selling off my McFarlane collection (I've only got about 80 figures). Having my old DCUC collection helps, so even if Mattel craps the bed (though I'm cautiously optimistic), I've still got 75 or so great 6" DC figures on my shelves. Looks like it's time to take photos for eBay.
Robert Oberschelp, head of Warner Bros. Discovery global consumer products, said the DC brand is one of the company’s “crown jewels” and the battle to obtain the licensing rights was highly competitive. The company considered manufacturers’ business models and track records in design work, distribution and innovation when weighing options.
“What Mattel really brought was a very clear understanding of our brand,” he said, adding that the toy maker’s global reach was an important factor.
“You have content coming every way that’s going to be in front of that fan to get them excited. What we’re going to be able to do is extend that storytelling,” he said.
To @enigmaticclarity 's question: Sounds like WB was impressed with what Mattel could bring to the table in terms of matching what the movies/tv/other forms of storytelling are doing. It's possible that McFarlane and Spinmaster separately are not giving them what Mattel unified could do. I think the word distribution may be doing some of the heavy lifting as well. Mattel can probably get more product in more places globally than McF and Spinmaster.
One thing I won’t miss is the platinum and gold label concepts. It means that approximately a quarter of the line is an eBay exclusive for a 100-200% mark-up. And bafflingly, it’s almost always the iconic/classic looks of characters that are the chase ones.
It's my hope that Todd will be able to keep enough of the license to occupy a niche like Marvel Select does; more elaborate figures periodically released online and to specialty shops. I'd like to see those Megafigs continue.
Probably won't happen though. My prediction is he's gonna try to take over Marvel Select's role entirely since Diamond's put them on the chopping block.
Yeah - the "reseller candy" has always been a thing Todd loved from way, way back in his comic book days so it's no surprise he retreated into that comfort zone with the DC figure format when some of his other approaches stopped working.
Mattel's Masterverse line once they started the "New Eternia" initiative have been some of my favorite figures, so if they can apply that quality to a DC line while making the line compatible with Marvel Legends so I can have a good version of Avengers fighting the Justice League before I'm too old to remember what a toy is then I'll be happy.
I am thrilled to hear McFarlane is no longer the sole company able to make DC action figures at retail. Never liked the vast majority of the releases, and the company seemed to half ass a lot of them besides.
I do hope the line continues in some (likely limited) capacity for the people that are really married to the line though. Maybe that will allow McFarlane toys to put more effort into each release.
My only real concern with this mattel takeover and buyback is whether or not this violates any Antitrust laws here in the US because now they have a sole monopoly to make all DC products in all scales which cuts off all deals that DC/WB had with McFarlane Toys, Spinmasters, Mezco, Mondo..possibly even mafex. Who knows if any of this is even legal?
@supreme_d It's not McFarlane its Mattel that has ownership now starting in 2026. McFarlane is being put out to pasture along with Spinmaster
Robert Oberschelp, head of Warner Bros. Discovery global consumer products, said the DC brand is one of the company’s “crown jewels” and the battle to obtain the licensing rights was highly competitive. The company considered manufacturers’ business models and track records in design work, distribution and innovation when weighing options.
“What Mattel really brought was a very clear understanding of our brand,” he said, adding that the toy maker’s global reach was an important factor.
“You have content coming every way that’s going to be in front of that fan to get them excited. What we’re going to be able to do is extend that storytelling,” he said.
To @enigmaticclarity 's question: Sounds like WB was impressed with what Mattel could bring to the table in terms of matching what the movies/tv/other forms of storytelling are doing. It's possible that McFarlane and Spinmaster separately are not giving them what Mattel unified could do. I think the word distribution may be doing some of the heavy lifting as well. Mattel can probably get more product in more places globally than McF and Spinmaster.
This is WB we're talking about. The same folks who are stripping their IPs for parts, closing gaming studios left and right, and resseling whatever's left. I'm willing to believe that Mattel didn't as much bring an interesting vision for the future of the DC brand, as they showed up with the biggest check.
Which leads to another question:Robert Oberschelp, head of Warner Bros. Discovery global consumer products, said the DC brand is one of the company’s “crown jewels” and the battle to obtain the licensing rights was highly competitive. The company considered manufacturers’ business models and track records in design work, distribution and innovation when weighing options.
“What Mattel really brought was a very clear understanding of our brand,” he said, adding that the toy maker’s global reach was an important factor.
“You have content coming every way that’s going to be in front of that fan to get them excited. What we’re going to be able to do is extend that storytelling,” he said.
To @enigmaticclarity 's question: Sounds like WB was impressed with what Mattel could bring to the table in terms of matching what the movies/tv/other forms of storytelling are doing. It's possible that McFarlane and Spinmaster separately are not giving them what Mattel unified could do. I think the word distribution may be doing some of the heavy lifting as well. Mattel can probably get more product in more places globally than McF and Spinmaster.
This is WB we're talking about. The same folks who are stripping their IPs for parts, closing gaming studios left and right, and resseling whatever's left. I'm willing to believe that Mattel didn't as much bring an interesting vision for the future of the DC brand, as they showed up with the biggest check.
What guarantees do we have that Mattel simply won't take a page out of Playmates's book and recycle their old molds from the 4H into perpetuity like they did before? If only because it's the quick and dirty option and this billion dollar company believes that's what focus groups are looking for?
My only real concern with this mattel takeover and buyback is whether or not this violates any Antitrust laws here in the US because now they have a sole monopoly to make all DC products in all scales which cuts off all deals that DC/WB had with McFarlane Toys, Spinmasters, Mezco, Mondo..possibly even mafex. Who knows if any of this is even legal?
Master licenses for toys are very common, and I doubt it will have an impact on Mezco, Mondo, or Mafex since those are typically outside of these types of deals (Mafex is an import, so they won't be impacted at all...their deal is not for US territories). When Mattel previously had the master license, all of those companies were making their products. Hasbro has the master toy license for Marvel in the US, and they still have other companies making the same characters in different formats existing alongside of them.
It also doesn't violate antitrust laws. In order for that to be the case Mattel would have to be the only company making toys, period. A brand like Marvel Legends, even though it is based on completely different IP, is seen as competition from a legal perspective.
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