Marvel Toybox - BLACK PANTHER!

Toybox - Marvel #34 - Black Panther (Shuri) & Namor 2-Pack - Disney 2022

Okay, now that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has been out for a few weeks I'm ready for all the surprise Shuri as Black Panther merchandise to start hitting. If they weren't trying to keep her adoption of the Black Panther mantle a secret, we would have certainly seen a Basic Series figure and Titan Hero Series already. The fact that we saw three versions of Shuri in that purple tracksuit from their brief Boston excursion is odd.  For a character that has two unique "hero" outfits, why produce her in civilian duds? This Marvel Toybox showed up on the ShopDisney site a short three days after the movie premiered and I hope is the start of a flood of new Shuri products. The Toybox line has been very impressive. This Black Panther is the ninth female Marvel figure in four short years. And for an infrequent line like this, that is an impressive number. Lately, they seem to only make MCU figures, so the the next candidate is likely She-Hulk, Ms. Marvel, or Kate Bishop. Only time will tell. Let's check out Shuri below!

Marvel Toybox - GAMORA!

Toybox - Marvel Deluxe Box - Guardians of the Galaxy - Disney 2021

This blog has become a sort of journal for me. When I got this Gamora Toybox figure in the mail this week, I knew I had been wishing for her for a while. And sure enough, four years ago when the first Marvel lady was released, Black Widow (of course), I was already writing here about my hopes for a Gamora. So far all the female releases have had direct movie or television tie-ins, so I'm guessing the next options will be America Chavez, Kate Bishop, She-Hulk, and Ms. Marvel. But time will tell. This Gamora is the first figure in a while to go back to the original Disney Infinity video game designs (the aesthetic basis for this toy line). Recent releases like Scarlet Witch, Wasp, and Captain Carter were new designs (since the MCU costumes hadn't been created yet). I'm glad they broke out of Infinity library of characters since they would be limiting themselves and not keeping current with the MCU, but I also appreciate this more simplified Gamora over her MCU version with layered clothing and facial markings. 

Marvel Toybox - CAPTAIN CARTER!

Toybox - Marvel Deluxe Box - Captain Carter & Hydra Stomper - Disney 2021

Spoiler Warning. I know this is broad, but if you don't want anything about anything nerdy spoiled right now, just skip ahead to the pictures. I say that because if I mention what the spoilers are about, that is the spoiler. (I'll get to the actual spoilage in a few minutes). The Disney Toybox line continues to impress. Each figure seems to be an improvement over the last both in aesthetic and construction. I got this Captain Carter and Hydra Stomper two-pack back in October when I was all packed-up for a November move. By the time I was all settled in my new home and began taking photos again in January, she was the oldest of my new toys and kept getting pushed to the backburner. But then yesterday I got the new Gamora figure and was inspired to finally dig her out of the back of my closet. She is amazing. I love it when a long-standing civilian character gets powered-up and takes center stage like Spider-Gwen, Pepper Potts Rescue, Jane Foster Thor, and now Captain Carter. It's a trope that I can get behind.

Star Wars Toybox - AHSOKA TANO!

Disney Toybox Star Wars #22 Ahsoka Tano & Captain Rex - Disney Store - 2021

A sad thing has happened in my little corner of the world since this Summer: all my local Disney Stores have closed. I was lucky enough to have four in a relatively small area, but one-by-one they shuttered their doors since July. I travel semi-regularly to two additional nearby stores (including the Times Square location), but they oddly never carry any action figures besides some perennial Marvel Select figures. Over the past few years I've grown to really love the unpredictable releases of the Disney ToyBox figures. Sure, they are their own unique scale and have stylized sculpts that don't blend with other toy lines, but there have been enough figures that they have established their own specific category. This Ahsoka Tano figure figure is exciting to me because I consider it a positive benchmark of a Star Wars toy line when they make a non-human female character. Most usually make Leia or Rey then quit. But I love the colorful aliens so I'm always wishing for more. Let's check out Ahsoka Tano below!

Marvel Toybox - SCARLET WITCH!

Toybox - Marvel Series #29 Scarlet Witch & Vision - Disney Store Exc - 2021

Of course the first WandaVision products on the shelves would be a Disney Store exclusive. This time last year I never would have predicted Wanda's popularity. As a comic reader, I've always knew she was an incredibly interesting and powerful character, but I also knew her MCU representation was just.. meek. Luckily WandaVision came out of nowhere and raised her profile in the biggest way. Now we can begin seeing a new female character integrated into all the random MCU merchandise. Up till now Black Widow and Captain Marvel have carried the weight of female representation, and I'm excited to get someone new in the mix. Especially with a character that's so costumed and toyetic. I was so relieved in the final episode when she finally donned a costume that was a creative mix of comic and MCU style. And predictably within a few days there was a slew of product reveals featuring the new design. Of course Disney had to have the first on the shelves. Let's check out Wanda below!

Marvel Toybox - GHOST-SPIDER!

Toybox - Marvel Action Figures #24 Ghost-Spider - Disney Store Exc - 2020

I must admit that Disney's Toybox line has really been impressing me lately. When they first started rolling out back in 2017, I had pretty low expectations for character selection and overall quality. My first purchase was a Star Wars Rey who, at the time, was an overproduced character with chunky articulation and an odd face sculpt. I still loved the figure and I was still intrigued by the line, but I couldn't say I was necessarily excited. However, the next three years would see a steady (but slow) flow of new characters across a handful of licenses (Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, and NBX). And the quality has steadily improved. The face sculpts alone are getting better and better - at least for Marvel and Star Wars (the recent Bo Peep looked creepy imo). Spider-Gwen aka Ghost-Spider was a character I knew would eventually come to the line, and she does not disappoint. She has a great sculpt and her sturdy build and articulation create undeniable sense of playability. Let's check out Ghost-Spider below!

Marvel Toybox - CAPTAIN MARVEL!

Toybox - Marvel Action Figures #18 Captain Marvel - Disney Store Exclusive - 2019

The Disney Store exclusive Toybox line is really on a roll these day. When the line launched just a little under two years ago, I had high hopes, but low expectations. The first female offering was Rey from Star Wars and I had mixed feelings. The scale, articulation, and overall quality was great, but the face looked creepy.  Thankfully two years later all the faces now look great, and the character selection has been exciting. This Captain Marvel is my 5th figure so far, and I hope there will be many more. (I skipped all the Disney ladies: Jessie, Minnie, Bo Peep, and Incredibles). I like how this Carol Danvers figure is a blend of her comic, MCU, and Disney Infinity designs. Hopefully future figures will be the same (Gamora? Valkyrie? Scarlet Witch? Pepper Potts as Rescue?) I kind of like how the new figures are kept a secret until pictures are leaked just a few weeks before they hit the stores. Really keeps us collectors on our toes and reminds me of the old toy hunting days. Let's check out Captain Marvel below!

Marvel Toybox - WASP!

Toybox - Marvel Action Figures #11 Wasp - Disney Store Exclusive - 2018

This Disney Store Exclusive Toybox line is impressing me so much. In eight short months I've already picked up four pretty awesome female action figures (Rey, Black Widow, and Leia), plus a few I haven't picked like Jesse from Toy Story and Elastigirl and Violet from the Incredibles. I like the articulation, I like the playable quality, and I like the overall design. This Wasp figure marks a departure from the line in that (I'm pretty sure at least) this is the first figure that didn't exist in the Disney Infinity realm. All the other figures so far are direct copies from that style, but this is a new design done in the same aesthetic. It really opens the possibilities for the future of the line. I think the next marvel ladies we'll see will be Gamora, Captain Marvel, Storm, and She-Hulk. But I'm actually most looking forward to a great Tinkerbell figure. She's just one of those iconic characters that surprisingly has never had a true action figure made. Playing with Wasp's wings got me thinking about Tink. Let's check out the Wasp below!

Star Wars Toybox - PRINCESS LEIA ORGANA!

Disney Toybox - Star Wars Action Figures #7 Leia - Disney Store Exclusive - 2018

These Disney Store Toybox figures are getting better with each purchase. Last year's Rey figure was pretty weird looking - enough so that I questioned if I would really buy any future figures. But then the Black Widow figure was revealed and I suddenly had renewed interest in the line. This newest Princess Leia figure is keeping the momentum going. She embodies this great blend of modern animated styling with classic movie details. Now I'm really excited about future figures. I'm guessing we'll eventually see a Queen Amidala and Hera Syndula. But I'd also love to see some more obscure choices like Oola, Darth Talon, and Shaak Ti. The Marvel line has teased a new Wasp figure, but I also expect a Captain Marvel and Gamora figure in the near future. Not forgetting classics like She-Hulk and Spider-Woman which would be awesome. I should also mention that the Toy Story and Incredibles lines both have females in them as well, but I'm limiting myself to Marvel and Star Wars. Let's check out Leia below!

Marvel Toybox - BLACK WIDOW!

Toybox - Marvel Action Figures #6 Black Widow - Disney Store Exclusive - 2018

I really love the design of this Black Widow ToyBox figure. The Disney ToyBox series is exclusive to Disney Store and features highly-articulated action figures based on the designs of the defunct Disney Infinity game. Character assortments currently pull from Star Wars, Marvel, and Pixar. The problem is, the majority of the Disney Infinity designs look very stylized and very odd (in my humble opinion). The Rey figure from last year had a pretty severe facial expression which is something a lot of characters in the game had. But this Black Widow design is great. It's unique, cartoony, and fun - and I totally dig it. Now I'm excited to see future Marvel ladies. It's a safe bet that we'll see Gamora and Captain Marvel, but I'm also hoping for She-Hulk and the Wasp and any other surprises they'll throw at us. But the actual next lady in the lineup is Princess Leia which should be out shortly. It's hard to uncover the exact release dates, but when it hits, they are usually very well stocked. Let's check out Black Widow below!

Star Wars Toybox - REY!

Disney Toybox - Star Wars Action Figures #2 Rey - Disney Store Exclusive - 2017

I'm kind of excited to see what the future of this new Disney Toybox series brings. While I'm not a huge fan of the stylistic design of this Rey figure, some of of the other Infinity characters looked pretty cool. So far, the sculpts of the Toybox figures have been based off the Disney Infinity video game collectible figurines. I always thought a lot of the character designs looked really weird and angry, like this Rey for example. But other characters, like Captain Marvel, Spider-Gwen, Gamora, and White Tiger look pretty awesome. The insert inside the packaging hint at ten additional figures on the horizon (spread across all three branches of the line: Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars) and four of them appear to be female. The production quality is really great so my hopes are high for some fun new figures. I bought this Rey just to check out the articulation and overall quality, and I'm very impressed. The plastic has a certain animated quality to its texture that's hard to explain. Can't wait to see what's next. Let's check out Rey below!