[Heroguy70]

I would be very unhappy if Hasbro cancelled MU. I appreciate that this thread is here because it has set my mind at ease. Some thoughts:

1) According to the NY Times, Hasbro had a difficult 4th quarter, which resulted in them laying off over 100 US employees. As part of their drive to return to profitability, they are going to concentrate on properties they own, such as GI Joe, because they have a higher margin.

2) Legends sales were disappointing, which is probably why Vonner got the axe. I imagine this line will be the first victim of any future cutbacks. Since MU is the same scale as GI Joe, it's likely to stay around for many years to come. Legends is the line that doesn't make sense from Hasbro's perspective.

3) The recent spate of revision waves for MU at retail probably represents the company's efforts to increase interest by making past figures (the ones with less overhead built into them) available to new customers (given the upswing the economy has taken lately, this makes sense). It could also represent a change in marketing strategy for the line. Rather than releasing several waves a year of characters few in the general public recognize, the line is likely to emphasize more popular characters (look for more tie-ins with the cartoons and fewer chase figures).

4) The Avengers movie has yet to be released, so sales of those figures probably hasn't peaked yet. MU could cannibalize this line, so keeping new releases off the shelves makes sense.

5) Marvel wants Hasbro to continue making these figures. Hasbro might be angling to get a renegotiated price on the licensing.

6) The real key here is whether the new MU stock sits on store shelves or it moves. If it moves, then the line will be safe.