Mattel loses large part of DC license?
 

https://www.latimes.com/business/la-...224-story.html

Seems like Mattel's gonna lose the boys action toys, electronic toys, water toys, and games and puzzles part of their DC license in 2020 to Spin Master, leaving only preschool and girls toys.

Hey Dwight, you watching this? This is your future at Hasbro, 5 years from now.


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Nah, it for little kid stuff, not the real figures we want.

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The only parts of the license left at Mattel are preschool and girls toys stuff. DC Multiverse is dead.

Glad I didn't start collecting Multiverse.

Interesting that Mattel admit they are eyeing the Star War license. I wonder if this will prompt Hasbro to try and sign a new agreement with Lucasfilm sooner rather than later so Mattel can't try and offset this by gaining Star Wars.

As much as some might be inclined to say Hasbro will lose the rights because Star Wars toys are doing terrible right now (which I still have yet to see real proof of; note, not an invitation for people to link me "proof" of it), I really don't see Mattel managing to get the license to replace the DC one, because even if Star Wars toys aren't doing well right now, Hasbro is still doing better than Mattel overall and has more money to throw around as far as I can tell.

Agreed. Even if Hasbro aren't happy with the license costs (something also claimed but with no evidence provided), losing it means forfeiting hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue per year to whatever competitor picks it up.

Damn. And I swear they were just starting to get Multiverse right. Spin Master doesn’t instill much confidence—they make strictly kiddie stuff. I bet this last year will be worse for it—cancelled figs, even spottier distro, etc.

I wonder if Spin Master would use this as an opportunity to start experimenting with 6 (or maybe 3 3/4) inch superarticulated stuff? Doubt it, but it's an interesting thought.

Huh? Mattel's DC figures have been a joke for quite a while and are often a mess of poor articulation, crappy paint and uninspired sculpting.

By contrast, the quality of Hasbro's Marvel figures is arguably the highest its ever been since they got the license. They also don't have the insanely poor distribution that the DC Multiverse stuff suffered from; most of the places I've been to STILL don't have any of the Multiverse Aquaman figures.

He's just mad about the diminishment of the 3 3/4 line.

I suppose it could be on their minds but I would have doubts they could do it successfully. Probably would be like Funko 9poa upscaled at best. Probably soft sculpts and shoddy paint, sub-Jazwares stuff. I find it less unlikely that DCC would actually get their shit together and put some real effort into a usefully articulated and in a standard 6” scale line that they don’t decide to axe after 9 months. Might be the end of decent DC figures outside of imports for a while... Sad news.

True, damn.

And like hey, I get it. I'm still carrying the torch for 3 and 3/4 figures. But my personal disappointment with the hiatus on that scale doesn't erase the good work Hasbro has been doing in 6 inch or that they seem to be doing successful business with their various Marvel products. They seem to be selling well enough.

And like you said with the Star Wars example, it's really unlikely that Mattel would somehow do a superior job with the Marvel license when they've been so completely hit or miss with their DC stuff.

theres still DC collectibles, DCUC & imports. Has-con just got cancelled. RIP marvel Legends.

Has-con has only been postponed (likely due to the moving of Hasbro's offices), DCUC aren't new figures, and DC Collectibles and import figures aren't DC Multiverse.

"postponed" thats what they said with TRU and look what happened. i know they arent multiverse but collectors have other options with the other fig makers.

???????? No, that's not what they said with Toys R Us. First they said they were filing for bankruptcy, then they said they were shutting down because they said they couldn't pay off their debt. Never did they say they were "postponing" anything.

Yes, collectors still have other DC options, but none of them are Marvel Legends-esque (around $20 price point, even remotely close to as wide range of characters, etc.) the way DC Multiverse was, even with all its problems. DC Collectibles' figures are ~$30, but they make relatively few a year, and they don't stay committed to a line, so they usually don't end up making many figures beyond the very basics. Imports are all significantly more expensive, and either movie-focused or going for a much different kind of thing (Revoltech). There is no other existing line that can fill the same role that DC Multiverse did.

Well crap. Just when it seemed mattel got their act straightened out.....the last couple waves really seemed to really give legends a run for their money. Im sad now. Spin masters seems a very poor choice to make action figures for dc,

Has anyone purchased any of the new Fortnight figures showing up at Target and Walmart? Those are made by Spinmaster and seem really detailed. I bought a weapons pack (for my joes) and they're on par with Hasbro weapons. Haven't bought a figure yet.

They have 4" and 6" scale

The 4" ones are made by Jazwares, not Spin Master. The 6" ones are made by McFarlane.

Not good news for DC and Mattel. DC needs action figures to be good.....spin master will not be better than Mattel.

Hasbro is done with star wars. Star Wars is a damaged brand and too expensive. After alienating their core fans to virtue signal, Star Wars isn't what it was. NONE of the new stuff sells. Only the toys from the Originals sells and even the prequels moved well.

This is a sign of troubled times ahead. The Hascon was something that was rumored to happen internally for a while. With TRU, both not around and unable to take the blame for poor sales, Hasbro is in some real manure.

I remember when toy biz had the lisence. Then lost it back to Kenner then it went to Mattel. I will never forget the first finds in Walmart. Then when the horseman were kicking it with dc universe classics and all the toy guru, and matte collector stuff. Man.

I believe Tony Stark said,” the end is part of the journey.”

I am sad,but excited to see new blood,I hope this opens up neca for some great things ahead.

No way can I look at my massive dc Mattel collection and be sad. What a ride.

This sounds promising.

So DC SUperhero girls Mattel gets to keep, as well as other barbie style lines(where they make more money anyway), and Spin master gets to do the other side of the market.

For comparison of a general idea of what to expect. Look towards Tron Legacy. Minus electronics, and more durable torsos since they won't be made out of translucent plastics.

This could actually work out really well for all of us.

Spin Master does a lot of great work, and knows how to match the markets when needed. So I could easily see them making a "Marvel Legends" comparable line, while also getting a better 4" line to market too at a reasonable cost. And, the best part, they won't be so hung up on gendered marketing, so they will be more likely to do things for Wonder Woman's movie or otherwise, that Mattel kept refusing on.

Feels a bit like what happened with Toy Biz and Hasbro with Marvel. Except in this case, Mattel has fall back property staples to keep them afloat.

Hopefully long term, this means Mattel will look more into creating better new IPs, and bringing self-owned things to the forefront, though it is a sad day to not see DC VS MOTU stuff, but at least they can still do She-Ra to DC superhero girls.

Toyguru did the same thing to DCIH to favor MotU at Mattel, that is, until they let him go about 5 years ago. Those who fail to learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them.


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