Mattel DC Figures

TheSameIdiot said:
I'd be shocked if we saw these at Toy Fair. I think it's SDCC at the earliest.
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Is the widely accepted assertion that Todd's going to be drawing down and focusing more on moving the remaining stock rather than new stuff come summer/fall? Given that 2027 is when the license ends, or is he running right up to the wire with releases and whatever's left on store shelves goes clearance and it's the store's problem?
 
Stoopid_Sandwich said:
Like I said, the new Batsuit debuted about 7 months ago. Right about the time that Hush 2 wrapped up and the new Deadpool vs Batman book was solicited. And Mattel announced their takeover bid last June. Which means that they probably initially sat down and discussed their new partnership maybe about exactly one year ago and then spent a couple of months informing their factories, other license holders, parent companies (which changed hands again just a month ago) and shareholders that they were making the switch. All of that probably took 4-5 months to arrange so by late may they were ready to make the announcement and by June they dropped their bombshell. So there is a chance that the new costume was talked about in that window but I would hazard a guess that most of that time was devoted to more pressing priorities and preparations


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Mattel announced it last February: https://corporate.mattel.com/news/m...ing-partnership-for-dc-characters-and-stories
 
RichardSimmonsRobot said:
Is the widely accepted assertion that Todd's going to be drawing down and focusing more on moving the remaining stock rather than new stuff come summer/fall? Given that 2027 is when the license ends, or is he running right up to the wire with releases and whatever's left on store shelves goes clearance and it's the store's problem?
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Dunno. Seems like we’re in uncharted territory now. Most companies would be drawing down now. Todd looks to have his foot on the gas based on the amount of semi verified rumors out there. If there is a draw down, I would think it’ll be Q4. October-December.

I’m still of a mind that DCD/DCC might be a workaround. It doesn’t seem to be a part of the master license that Mattel now has. DCD ran for 23 years parallel to Hasbro, Mattel, and even Todd for a year. The DCD brand was turned over to Todd by DC in 2022. And again, I don’t think he lost it when Mattel took over. I suppose it depends on how DC wants to proceed.

Whatever Todd makes, if anything, will not be on the toy aisle, but the collector aisle. Statues, busts, props, prints, etc. But I’m still not writing off some figures. Yet. Todd has a good relationship with DC through Jim Lee. He has a good relationship with WB, having done a lot of work with them for years. He’s developed a special relationship with Wal Mart with lots of exclusives and a big presence on the collector aisle. Todd is well positioned for an exemption on the DC license. Let’s face facts, the license itself was already split once between Todd and Spin Masters. Mattel has shown itself to be inept where DC is concerned. If Todd gets a special dispensation, I’m not gonna be shocked.
 
Atomic Knight said:
Dunno. Seems like we’re in uncharted territory now.
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Are we though?

A license is changing hands. It happens all the time.
I always admire your enthusiasm, but so much of this seems like wishing for things to be more dramatic and cloak-and-dagger than they are. I just don’t think there is all this intrigue behind the scenes. It feels . . . manufactured. It also frames Todd as this mythical master-planning business hero, and respectfully I believe that is a myth we need to bust out of existence.
 
Atomic Knight said:
Mattel has shown itself to be inept where DC is concerned.
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With all due respect, this is your opinion. Now it might be shared by many others, but despite that - after giving Todd 6-7 years, DC made the choice that they had seen enough and preferred to go back to Mattel - so they clearly don't agree with your assessment.

Atomic Knight said:
If Todd gets a special dispensation, I’m not gonna be shocked.
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I'm all for increased competition. That can only help the consumers in multiple ways.

With that being said, if Todd is making DC product in 2028, I'm expecting it to be statues, busts, and posed figures - kind of what he does for Marvel now.
 
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Toddy Mac and Matty Collector. It's all just Fugazi, Tinkerbell spank powder.

Insight from us into this is like me and Winona Ryder. It's never gonna happen. Ghostbusters 3.

We do not know, cannot currently know, and it's all just going to lead to some massive collectile dysfunction when neither company delivers what we're theory crafting.

Let it go, Elsa. Let it go.
 
Look, I get it. Todd is out in terms of the master license. I truly understand.

I also know that no one, to my knowledge, has addressed the status of DCD. In terms of Mattel, Todd, or even if it exists anymore. Seems like a wild card to me. I, for one, would love some clarity. It’s not intrigue to me, it’s a question worth asking and waiting for a real, substantive answer.

Is a parallel line of niche based specialty figures impossible to contemplate in the wake of Mattel’s utter dominance? It already existed for better than two decades.
 
Atomic Knight said:
Is a parallel line of niche based specialty figures impossible to contemplate in the wake of Mattel’s utter dominance?
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Not “impossible”, just seems like reaching and myth-making, to the point of trying to make something out of nothing.
Atomic Knight said:
it’s a question worth asking
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And you have definitely asked it.


Atomic Knight said:
waiting for a real, substantive answer.
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So I guess that is the stage we are at, yes?
Sounds like 1) a question for a DCD thread and 2) an answer that will actually have to be *waited for*. Until that happens, and since the question has indeed already been asked, all this just seems like an attempt to keep the Todd-centric discussion going when there is really no actual discussion to be had. If there is news on the subject of DCD, I presume we will get it in good time. Until then, is there really a point to the constant “oooooh what’s Todd’s next big move??” stuff?

I dunno. It just seems like you have a significant emotional stake in Todd’s continued relevance to the DC license, and while I definitely understand having strong emotions and special interests, this feels more like a *you* thing than an actual line of grounded speculation. I’m not saying that to shame you, I’m just not sure that this constant fixation is rooted in relevance beyond your personal interest.
 
Atomic Knight said:
All I’ve ever wanted is what Marvel fans have had for 25 years…one single, consistent action figure line that encompasses all of the DCU. I’ve always wanted DC Legends so to speak. But now, at my age, that’s not even a possibility. Not a good one anyway.
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I feel both of these statements deeply.
 
Reno said:
With all due respect, this is your opinion. Now it might be shared by many others, but despite that - after giving Todd 6-7 years, DC made the choice that they had seen enough and preferred to go back to Mattel - so they clearly don't agree with your assessment.



I'm all for increased competition. That can only help the consumers in multiple ways.

With that being said, if Todd is making DC product in 2028, I'm expecting it to be statues, busts, and posed figures - kind of what he does for Marvel now.
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The fact that Warner Bros and DC are not satisfied with what Todd is working on is mind boggling to me. I mean for crying out loud, it feels like Todd has mastered the art of meeting sales quotas. He announces new figures every week thanks to his social feeds and his livestreams. Figures sell out lightning fast. Especially when they are exclusives. And Todd’s level of output puts even Hasbro to shame. Hell I don’t think even bootleggers work as fast as Todd does. Not only does he constantly release product, he releases so many figures(sometimes even ahead of a preorder window) that by the time they reach your door, it weighs like 40 lbs and it’s all the last two weeks worth of DC multiverse.

Meanwhile Mattel is lucky if it releases 12 figures a year. And Warner Bros has a problem with the choices that Todd is making??……kay….good luck I guess?


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I don't think the switch to Mattel has much to do with Todd. When they gave the license to McFarlane, DC and parent company Warner Bros were under different ownership and in a very different place as a company. They were willing to take less money to give McFarlane a chance with their license. It was pretty forward-thinking on their part as Mattel doesn't necessarily have a reputation as a collector brand like McFarlane did/does and seemed like an acknowledgement that the action figure market is a collector one first and foremost. Now, Warner just wants the biggest payday and Mattel can offer more money than McFarlane and it sounds like this was simply a case of being outbid. Warner has been angling to sell ever since Zaslav was appointed CEO and they're just trying to make the company appear to be as valuable as possible and Mattel's cash infusion contributes to that. I would guess that someone like Zaslav couldn't give two shits what product is actually put out and probably doesn't even know where to find DC products in store.
 
It's also entirely possible that Mattel tried to get too cute with negotiations last time around and didn't think anyone else could/would likely make a strong play. They may have gotten completely blindsided by McF making a competitive bid and Warner Bros / DC decided to teach Mattel a lesson. Obviously Mattel didn't let it happen again. Total speculation on my part, of course. It would be fascinating to know, though. What figures was McF even making back at that time? Fortnite (pre-Hasbro)? Mortal Kombat 11 video game figures? I don't necessarily remember but I was thinking that he didn't start making Spawn figures again until around the same time that the DC license went to him. McFarlane Toys was completely off my radar at that time, I remember that. I remember half expecting late 90's Spawn like product. LOL
 
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