Ranking The Avengers Movies Before CIVIL WAR
Captain America: Civil War is released in theaters today. This first film in “Phase 3” of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has a huge character roster. Its spotlight scene in trailers and marketing show over a dozen Marvel characters on screen duking it out. With Iron Man, Ant-Man, Spider-Man, and a full Avengers roster, Civil War feels less like a third Captain America movie, and more like the culmination of everything that has come before.
In preparation for this superhero “Monster Mash” here is a recap of the first two phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, ranked from worst to best!
The March Marvel Madness Sweet 16 Are Chosen!
The Sweet 16 Heroes of March Marvel Madness have been selected!
The competition started March 15. Each day two pairs of heroes were plucked from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and competed head to head. Marvel fans across the globe voted at VenganzaMedia.com and from the 32 contestants, 16 winners were chosen.
Click to see the full March Marvel Madness Bracket
Now those winners go head to head, the victors advancing to the Elite 8, and you decide the results!
Each day at 1pm EDT from March 23rd through March 26th two more face-offs will be posted. The matches will be:
March 23: Black Panther vs Hulk
March 23: Gamora vs Thor
March 24: Hawkeye vs Punisher
March 24: Spider-Man vs Luke Cage
March 25: War Machine vs Iron Man
March 25: Vision vs Rocket Raccoon
March 26: Agent Phil Coulson vs Black Widow
March 26: Captain America vs Jessica Jones
Come back to VenganzaMedia.com each day to vote for the winner! The victors advance to our March Marvel Madness Elite 8. Then, starting March 27, one match will be posted per day until only one Marvel champion remains!
Marvel collectors: get your dose of Marvel toy and statue collecting news on the Marvelicious Toys podcast!
Marvel movie fans: hear reviews of every Marvel movie, from Howard the Duck through Ant-Man on the Now Playing podcast!
Pre-Order Alert: Drax the Destroyer from Hot Toys
I like your figure. I’m keeping it.
Two years ago Hot Toys released their Guardians of the Galaxy figures. Star-Lord, Gamora, Rocket Raccoon, and Drax were put up for pre-order shortly after the film’s 2014 release…but the question remained “Where’s Drax?” He was shown at San Diego Comic-Con in 2014, but no orders were available, and questions to Hot Toys went unanswered.
People started to fear Drax would never come, put in the same category as the X-Men: First Class Magneto and Charles Xavier, and a handful of other never-released figures (Amazing Spider-Man 2’s Rhino will hopefully be added to that list).
But now Guardians fans can stop worrying! The Drax MMS Sixth Scale figure is now up for order!
The movie-accurate Drax collectible figure is specially crafted based on the image of Dave Bautista in the film, featuring the newly developed head sculpt, a newly developed muscular body with detailed sculpture of the character’s iconic tattoos, two styles of interchangeable pants, two blades, a rocket launcher, and a Guardians of the Galaxy themed figure stand.
Guardians of the Galaxy fans, don’t let the chance to own this collectible figure fly over your head.
The full specs for the piece are:
Hot Toys – MMS355 – Guardians of the Galaxy 1/6th scale Drax Collectible Figure Specification
~ Movie Masterpiece Series ~
The 1/6th scale Drax Collectible Figure specially features:
- – Newly developed head sculpt with authentic and detailed likeness of Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer in Guardians of the Galaxy
- – Highly detailed facial expression with wrinkles, and tattoos
- – Newly developed muscular body with over 26 points of articulations and detailed sculpture of the character’s distinctive tattoos
- – Specially applied painting on skin and tattoos
- – Approximately 32 cm tall
- – Seven (7) pieces of interchangeable hands including:
- – One (1) pair of fists
- – One (1) pair of hands for holding blades
- – One (1) pair of open hands
- – One (1) right hand for holding rocket launcher
- – Each piece of head sculpt is specially hand-painted
Costume:
- – One (1) pair of dark gray pants with detailed patterns
- – One (1) pair of interchangeable red colored Ravagers pants with detailed patterns
- – One (1) pair of black boots with blade sheath
Weapons:
- – One (1) rocket launcher
- – Two (2) blades
Accessory:
- – Specially designed figure stand with Drax nameplate and the movie logo
So what are you waiting for? You! Man who has lain with an Askervarian! Get to Sideshow’s site and order now!
Pre-Order Alert: Sideshow Collectibles Exclusive Gamora Premium Format Figure
Up for order right now is Sideshow Collectibles’ exclusive Gamora Premium Format Figure!
This newest statue features this Guardian of the Galaxy in her white battle armor, decorated with gold skulls, a hooded cloak, and a belt.
Both the regular and exclusive version come with Gamora’s God Slayer sword, but the exclusive also has a swap-out hand with Gamora holding a tactical knife.
This item is slated to ship in early 2017–right about when the hype for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 will be at its apex. So you know this is going to be sold out and have a high secondary value when it ships.
Don’t delay, order your Gamora Premium Format Figure now at Sideshow Collectibles!
News: New Images of Guardians of the Galaxy Hasbro Legends Leaked!
Marvelicious Toys has just come across new boxed images of the Entertainment Earth exclusive Guardians of the Galaxy Marvel Legends set!
Featuring Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket Raccoon, and Groot (both in giant and potted versions), these comic-accurate likenesses appear to come loaded with accessories, including swappable heads for Gamora, interchangable hands for Drax, and much more as shown in the images below.
These sets are still up for pre-order now at Entertainment Earth.
Keep Arnie awake at The Ultimate Marvel Marathon!
We’ve long suspected that Marvelicious Toys and Now Playing Podcast host Arnie Carvalho gets less sleep than the kids at Westin Hills. So if anyone can survive The Ultimate Marvel Marathon – an 11-film binge of the entire MCU, from Iron Man to Age of Ultron – it’s Arnie.
He’ll take his seat at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Kansas City’s AMC Studio 28, and you can show your support by printing out your own Now Playing Podcast or Marvelicious Toys racing bib!
Follow Arnie on Twitter @TheArnieC and tweet your marathon pics using the hashtags #CrazyArnie and #StayAwakeArnie.
Now Playing Podcast’s Avengers: Age of Ultron review will be released Tuesday, May 5, after Arnie’s had time to recover. By the way, that marathon is sold out. So Arnie’s looking at 29-plus hours in that theater, without a lot of room to stretch. Pray for him.
Print your Marvelicious marathon racing bib!
Print your Now Playing Podcast marathon racing bib!
Video: Guardians of the Galaxy & X-Men: The Black Vortex
The Guardians of the Galaxy, the All-New X-Men, Nova, Captain Marvel, Cyclops and more team up for a cosmic throwdown the likes of which have never been seen in GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY & X-MEN: THE BLACK VORTEX! On sale this week, the highly anticipated first issue in the upcoming crossover from fan-favorite writer Sam Humphries and blockbuster artist Ed McGuinness!
The Black Vortex, an ancient artifact of immense and immeasurable power has resurfaced on the far side of the galaxy. With the power to unlock its users true cosmic potential, in the wrong hands, the Black Vortex’s power could be a force of unparalleled destruction. Imagine the power that transformed Jean Grey into the Phoenix or Norin Radd into the Silver Surfer available to anyone, and in the hands of those who would use it for evil!
Kicking off in this special Alpha issue and continuing through some of your favorite Marvel titles including Guardians of the Galaxy, Legendary Star-Lord, All-New X-Men, Captain Marvel, Nova, Cyclops and more, be there for the beginning of the next great out-of-this-world crossover when GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY & X-MEN: THE BLACK VORTEX ALPHA #1 hits comic shops and digital devices this February!
Pre-Order Alert: Hot Toys 1/6th scale Thanos Collectible Figure
“The only matter I do not take seriously, boy, is you.”
Up for pre-order now is Hot Toys figure of Thanos — the mad titan from Guardians of the Galaxy!
Thanos is one of the most infamous Marvel villains in comic book history. His first appearance in The Avengers has already got fans widely discussing the Mad Titan’s role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and in Guardians of the Galaxy; audiences are finally able to meet him fully when he gives his threatening speech to Ronan the Accuser.
Now Hot Toys presents the eagerly-anticipated 1/6th scale Thanos Collectible Figure from Guardians of the Galaxy!
The movie-accurate Thanos collectible figure is specially crafted based on the appearance of Thanos in the movie, featuring a newly developed helmeted head sculpt, meticulously sculpted armored body, and Thanos’ throne with LED light-up function.
Supervillain fans, remember to make room for this powerful Mad Titan in your collection! Order now at Sideshow Collectibles!
Hot Toys – MMS280 – Guardians of the Galaxy: 1/6th scale Thanos Collectible Figure Features
– Authentic and detailed likeness of Thanos in Guardians of the Galaxy
– Newly developed helmeted head sculpt with movie-accurate facial expression and detailed skin texture
– Newly sculpted muscular body with over 22 points of articulations
– Approximately 38 cm tall
– Two (2) pairs of interchangeable palms including:
– One (1) pair of fists
– One (1) pair of relaxed palms
– Each piece of head sculpt is specially hand-painted
Costume:
– One (1) metallic gold, dark grey and dark purple colored armor
– One (1) pair of metallic gold, dark grey and dark purple colored bicep armor
– One (1) pair of metallic gold, dark grey and dark purple colored gauntlets
– One (1) pair of metallic gold and dark purple colored greaves
– One (1) pair of metallic gold colored boots
Accessories:
– Thanos’ throne with LED light-up function (white light, battery operated)
– Diamond-shaped base with transparent pillars, Thanos’ nameplate and movie logo
Artists:
– Head Sculpted by Hyeong Seok Koh & Eui Jong Kim
– Head Painted by JC. Hong & Yoong Young Lee
– Armor Sculpted by Eui Jong Kim, Seung Min Kang, Seung Soo Yoo & Hyeong Seok Koh
– Figure Art Directed by JC. Hong
– Throne Sculpted by Kyoung Geun Kim, So Young Lee & Mina Yu
Check out the pictures below, and place your order now with Sideshow Collectibles — the only Hot Toys authorized reseller in the USA!
Several Oscar Nominated Films Reviewed by Now Playing Podcast
The Academy Award nominees have been announced, and Now Playing Podcast has reviewed (or will soon be reviewing) several nominees!
Boyhood, directed by Richard Linklater, is one of the leading films of the year. The film earned six nominations; only three films beat that number this year. The film, which Linklater filmed over a span of 12 years, is up for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Ethan Hawke), Best Supporting Actress (Patricia Arquette), Best Editing, Best Director, and Best Screenplay!
Our review of is film will be posted at NowPlayingPodcast.com on Feb 10, but we start leading up to that next week! Starting January 20th we begin reviewing Linklater’s Before trilogy of films: Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, and Before Midnight — all directed by Linklater and starring Ethan Hawke.
Big Hero 6 is up for Best Animated Film. Do the Now Playing Hosts agree? That review is out now at NowPlayingPodcast.com (additionally Feast is up for Best Animated Short and we discussed that in our Big Hero 6 review as well!)
Interstellar was blocked from the big categories but did get Best Production Design, Best Visual Effects, Best Score and, most unexpectedly, Best Sound Editing and Sound Mixing (did they hear that film right???? Were the screener DVDs mixed differently??) . That review is up now in the Now Playing archives, along with every other film Christopher Nolan has reviewed!
Guardians of the Galaxy may have won top spot in the 2014 box office, but the Academy only nominated Marvel’s blockbuster film in two technical categories: Best Makeup and Hairstyling and Best Visual Effects. (I rewatched the film over the holidays and that the film did not get Best Costume Design is a travesty–those outfits were intricate and varied). You can hear our review of this film now!
Also nominated for Best Visual Effects were Captain America: The Winter Soldier and X-Men: Days of Future Past, both of which we reviewed as part of our ongoing Marvel Movie Retrospective.
Now Playing Podcast donors who took part in our Spring Donation Drive also heard our review of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, but that review is no longer available as the donation drive has completed.
The full list of nominees for The 87th Annual Academy Awards are:
Best Picture
- American Sniper
- Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
- Boyhood
- The Grand Budapest Hotel
- The Imitation Game
- Selma
- The Theory of Everything
- Whiplash
Actor in a Leading Role
- Steve Carell for Foxcatcher
- Bradley Cooper for American Sniper (Hear us discuss Cooper in our reviews of Guardians of the Galaxy and The Midnight Meat Train)
- Benedict Cumberbatch for The Imitation Game (Hear us discuss Cumberbatch in our review of Star Trek Into Darkness)
- Michael Keaton for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (Hear us talk about Keaton playing a different winged hero in our reviews of Batman and Batman Returns, and he also featured in the remake of Robocop)
- Eddie Redmayne for The Theory of Everything
Actress in a Leading Role
- Marion Cotillard for Two Days, One Night (Hear us review her turn as the evil Talia al Ghul in The Dark Knight Rises and also her role in Christopher Nolan’s Inception)
- Felicity Jones for The Theory of Everything (We discussed her blink-and-you-miss-it turn in The Amazing Spider-Man 2)
- Julianne Moore for Still Alice (We recently reviewed Moore for her role in the remake of Carrie, as well as her work in Next and Hannibal)
- Rosamund Pike for Gone Girl (Hear us discuss this former Bond Girl’s work in Die Another Day)
- Reese Witherspoon for Wild
Actor in a Supporting Role
- Robert Duvall for The Judge
- Ethan Hawke for Boyhood (Hear us discuss Hawke in the upcoming Now Playing Before Sunrise Retrospective Series, starting Jan. 20!)
- Edward Norton for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (We reviewed Norton’s work in Fight Club, plus his one-and-done turn as The Incredible Hulk)
- Mark Ruffalo for Foxcatcher (We first discussed this star of 13 Going on 30 in our review of Shutter Island, as well as his work replacing Norton as The Hulk in The Avengers and Iron Man 3)
- J.K. Simmons for Whiplash (We reviewed the Farmer’s Insurance salesman for his role of J. Jonah Jameson in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films)
Actress in a Supporting Role
- Patricia Arquette for Boyhood (We reviewed her first big-screen role in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors)
- Laura Dern for Wild
- Keira Knightly for The Imitation Game
- Emma Stone for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (We reviewed her performances in both of the Amazing Spider-Man films)
- Meryl Streep for Into the Woods
Animated Feature Film
- Big Hero 6
- The Boxtrolls
- How to Train Your Dragon 2
- Song of the Sea
- The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
Cinematography
- Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
- The Grand Budapest Hotel
- Ida
- Mr. Turner
- Unbroken
Costume Design
- The Grand Budapest Hotel
- Inherent Vice
- Into the Woods
- Maleficent
- Mr. Turner
Directing
- Alejandro G Iñárritu for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
- Richard Linklater for Boyhood
- Bennett Miller for Foxcatcher
- Wes Anderson for The Grand Budapest Hotel
- Morten Tyldum for The Imitation Game
Documentary Feature
- CitizenFour
- Finding Vivian Maier
- Last Days in Vietnam
- The Salt of the Earth
- Virunga
Documentary Short Subject
- Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1
- Joanna
- Our Curse
- The Reaper (La Parka)
- White Earth
Film Editing
- American Sniper
- Boyhood
- The Grand Budapest Hotel
- The Imitation Game
- Whiplash
Foreign Language Film
- Ida
- Leviathan
- Tangerines
- Timbuktu
- Wild Tales
Makeup and Hairstyling
- Foxcatcher
- The Grand Budapest Hotel
- Guardians of the Galaxy
Music – Original Score
- The Grand Budapest Hotel
- The Imitation Game
- Interstellar
- Mr. Turner
- The Theory of Everything
Music – Original Song
- “Everything is Awesome” from The Lego Movie
- “Glory” from Selma
- “Grateful” from Beyond the Lights
- “I’m Not Gonna Miss You” from Glen Campbell…I’ll Be Me
- “Lost Stars” from Begin Again
Production Design
- The Grand Budapest Hotel
- The Imitation Game
- Interstellar
- Into the Woods
- Mr. Turner
Short Film – Animated
- The Bigger Picture
- The Dam Keeper
- Feast
- Me and My Moulton
- A Single Life
Short Film – Live Action
- Aya
- Boogaloo and Graham
- Butter Lamp (La Lampe au Beurre de Yak)
- Parveneh
- The Phone Call
Sound Editing
- American Sniper
- Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
- The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
- Interstellar
- Unbroken
Sound Mixing
- American Sniper
- Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
- Interstellar
- Unbroken
- Whiplash
Visual Effects
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier
- Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- Interstellar
- X-Men: Days of Future Past
Writing – Adapted Screenplay
- American Sniper by Jason Hall
- The Imitation Game by Graham Moore
- Inherent Vice by Paul Thomas Anderson
- The Theory of Everything by Anthony McCarten
- Whiplash by Damien Chazelle
Writing – Original Screenplay
- Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) by Alejandro G Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr. and Armando Bo
- Boyhood by Richard Linklater
- Foxcatcher by E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman
- The Grand Budapest Hotel by Wes Anderson, Story by Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness
- Nightcrawler by Dan Gilroy
Submit to the Vortex – Your First Look at Your First Look at GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY & X-MEN: THE BLACK VORTEX ALPHA #1!
Submit to the Vortex – Your First Look at
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY & X-MEN: THE BLACK VORTEX ALPHA #1!
New York, NY – January 12th, 2014 – Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. What would you give up in your quest for power? What if it cost you your very soul? This February, those questions and more will be answered in Guardians of the Galaxy & X-Men: The Black Vortex Alpha #1, the first chapter in an epic, out of this world crossover through Guardians of the Galaxy, All-New X-Men, Legendary Star-Lord, Cyclops, Captain Marvel, Nova and Guardians Team-Up! From superstar creators Sam Humphries, Ed McGuinness and Kris Anka comes the opening salvo in an epic cosmic war!
The Black Vortex – an ancient and powerful artifact has been uncovered in the far reaches of the cosmos. With the power to grant its user untold, it is coveted by some of the most nefarious forces in the galaxy. Thane and the villainous Mr. Knife plan to use its power to unleash terror upon the galaxy, and only a small band of heroes stand in their way.
“What happens when one person submits to the Black Vortex and becomes a titan of the cosmos? What happens when a whole team does it? Or a whole planet?” says Guardians of the Galaxy & X-Men: The Black Vortex Alpha #1 writer Sam Humphries in an interview with Marvel.com. “Imagine the metamorphosis that turned Norin Radd into the Silver Surfer, or Jean Grey into Dark Phoenix, available to anyone in the Marvel Universe.”
“But of course, no amount of power comes without a cost,” Humphries continued.
Now, the Guardians of the Galaxy, the X-Men, Nova, Captain Marvel and more must unite as one or face extinction. Because if they fail, billions will die. But even they may be seduced by the power of the Black Vortex. Are they going to save the universe? Or will they be its undoing? Find out as the
Billions of lives are at stake, the heroes of the Marvel Universe will have to face the darkness inside themselves if they hope to succeed. But will they be the ones to save the galaxy, or will they be seduced by the Black Vortex’s power?
Find out as the action begins this February in the can’t miss Guardians of the Galaxy & X-Men: The Black Vortex Alpha #1!
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY & X-MEN: THE BLACK VORTEX ALPHA #1 (DEC140820)
Written by SAM HUMPHRIES
Art by ED MCGUINNESS & KRIS ANKA
Cover by ED MCGUINNESS
Cosmically Enhanced Variant by ANDREA SORRENTINO (DEC140822)
Connecting Variant A by ALEXANDER LOZANO (DEC140821)
We Are (Baby) Groot! Pre-Order Alert
Hot Toys Enters the Quarter Scale Marvel Market in a Small Way with the pre-order for the Little Groot Quarter Scale Figure.
In 2012 Hot Toys announced they held the license for Quarter Scale Marvel Figures. The company is widely known for their detailed (and expensive) Marvel sixth scale figures, including over 20 versions of Iron Man, and many collectors wondered what the cost of such items would be. Yet since the announcement Hot Toys has limited their 1/4 Scale releases to Iron Man busts. Now Hot Toys releases their first full figure in Quarter Scale, but it’s not Iron Man, nor any other humanoid creature–it’s Little Groot, as seen at the end of this year’s top-grossing film Guardians of the Galaxy.
In 1/4 scale, this potted Groot stands about 5.5-inches tall. Yet the figure is fully bendable allowing for a variety of poses. With three separate head sculpts you can have serious Groot, dancing Groot, or super-happy Groot!
The collector in me is worried about long-term wear on the figure from too much bending, but the Groot fan in me finds this too cute to prevent me from buying it!
At under $45 I think this figure would be Hot Toys’ top-selling figure of all time, except the market is flooded with baby Groot figures. Funko has their POP Vinyl version released; a low-cost animatronic dancing Baby Groot has surfaced at Wal Mart stores in the USA, KIDdesigns has a dancing Baby Groot shipping this Spring, Dragon has a full-scale Baby Groot Maquette, and Hot Toys themselves have already put up for pre-order two different Baby Groot figures in the 1/6 scale line–accessories with the Rocket and (full size, adult) Groot 2-figure set.
Still, at under $45 this is a great gift item that will likely sell quickly. So go GROOT yours now at Sideshow Collectibles!
Pre-Order Alert: Entertainment Earth Exclusive Planet X Groot!
Planet X Groot available exclusively through Entertainment Earth.
“I am Groot.” And now you can say “I own Groot… as a limited edition Planet X Groot Premium Hikari Sofubi Vinyl Figure – an Entertainment Earth Exclusive! From the Guardians of the Galaxy film, one of Marvel’s biggest characters has been transformed into the popular Hikari format. Planet X Groot features an auburn and brown distressed color deco. At a colossal 11-inches tall, the Guardians of the Galaxy Planet X Groot Premium Hikari Sofubi Vinyl Figure is a limited edition of only 1,000 pieces that comes individually numbered and packaged in a window box for easy display!
Pre-Order now at www.entertainmentearth.com!
Get your Guardians of the Galaxy signed by James Gunn on Dec 12
Meet the Director and Co-Writer of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
Friday, December 12th at Amoeba Music in Hollywood!
This event is at Amoeba Music, 6400 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, on Friday December 12th 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
ABOUT GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
Marvel Movie Pre-Order Alerts: Hot Toys Wolverine and Hikari Sofubi Groot
Fans of movies based on Marvel Comics characters have several pre-orders hitting today!
First, from the film X-Men: Days of Future Past Hot Toys and Sideshow Collectibles bring Wolverine! This figure has over 30 points of articulation, 3 pairs of swappable hands (with and without claws!), and an outfit representing Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in the dystopian future shown at the film’s opening. It stands just under 12-inches tall, and comes with a specialized Wolverine display base.
Now, it’s no secret that licensees have issues making toys and collectibles based on 20th Century Fox’s X-Men and Fantastic Four films. The last X-Men film to receive a big marketing push was X-Men Origins: Wolverine back in 2009. In 2011, covering New York Toy Fair for Marvelicious Toys, I interviewed one of the Marvel reps at Hasbro’s presentation. I was shocked at a lack of toys for that summer’s X-Men: First Class and I asked about that. I was told that Marvel would be marketing their X-Men: First Class comic books, not the movies. Indeed, in the past five years it has been hard to find any toys or statues based on the X-Men movies; only the comics. Only Diamond Select, with their Minimates lines, has covered all the Marvel movies regardless of studio.
In 2012 Hot Toys announced a licensing agreement for figures based on X-Men: First Class and Magneto and Charles Xavier figures were shown at various Hot Toys exhibits, but they never were released. It is more than likely pressure from Marvel has caused those figures to be indefinitely delayed, if not altogether cancelled.
Yet Hot Toys has persevered in releasing X-Men movie toys…if only Wolverine figures. Their first was from X-Men Origins: Wolverine released in 2009. That figure shot up in value and even had some high-quality bootlegs sold on eBay. As such, in 2012 Hot Toys made another Wolverine figure from X-Men III: The Last Stand. Then last year Hot Toys made another version of this character, showing his appearance in The Wolverine (still available to order, at a deep discount, from Sideshow Collectibles). This Days of Future Past Wolverine is the 4th version of this character.
Despite how much I really want Hot Toys to finally release the other X-Men figures (specifically the yellow-and-blue clad X-Men from First Class) Wolverine is the most popular X-Man. Each version of this figure has been distinct, and showing a likeness of Hugh Jackman appropriate to that film. This is an older Jackman likeness, and the future outfit is far different from any we’ve gotten before.
At $250 the figure is a bit more expensive than I’d like–with no large diorama pieces, excessive accessories, or swappable heads I’d prefer to see this around $200 like The Wolverine version, but it’s still a great version of the character.
I have it ordered already, both for the figure it is, plus I’m hoping that by “voting with my dollars” Hot Toys and Marvel realize high-end figures based on the X-Men films are profitable enough to continue beyond Wolverine.
(as an aside, X-Men: Days of Future Past came out on DVD and Blu-Ray this week, and the collector’s edition is almost half off at Amazon!)
If you prefer Marvel Studios’ own films, such as Guardians of the Galaxy, a new collectible is available for you as well! From Funko comes the Entertainment Earth exclusive Hikari Premium Sofubi Vinyl Figure of Groot!
While that’s a lot of adjectives, Funko’s Hikari Premium Sofubi Vinyl Figures are 11-inch soft vinyl figures. This one is limited to 5,000 pieces and only available from Entertainment Earth.
Funko is known for having several variants for each of their Sofubi figures, from color changes to translucent glittery versions. Several variants of the Groot Hikari Vinyl Figure were displayed at New York Comic-Con, but this Entertainment Earth version seems to be the most movie-accurate. You can order it now at EE.
And for Hikari collectors, Barnes and Noble just put up their exclusive black-and-white version of the Spider-Man figure, called “Dangerous Spider-Man” for $71. That is not a pre-order; mine has shipped already.
Pre-Order Alert: Hot Toys Exclusive Star-Lord Figure
“My name is Peter Quill. There’s one other name you may know me by: Star-Lord.”
No doubt, Guardians of the Galaxy has gone from Marvel’s riskiest film to date to being a sure-fire hit–the only question now is how big of a hit? But with crowd-pleasing trailers featuring Groot, Rocket Raccoon, Gamora, Drax, and, yes, Star-Lord anticipation is high for this film.
And, of course, what would a new Marvel movie be without Hot Toys based on it? 
Now the third of the Guardians is up for order–and there’s an exclusive edition!
Both versions of Star-Lord come with 5 pairs of gloved palms, 2 guns, a sling pack, a cassette player, and a realistic plasma orb. But if you hurry and get the Exclusive Edition you also get handcuffs and the silver Orb we see Quill trying to steal in the trailer!
I’ve seen this figure in person at SDCC (photo above was taken by me). The coat has amazing detail and tailoring. The facial likeness is spot-on. The accessories are intricite. This is a great figure of what appears to be an amazing new character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
So what are you waiting for? Hurry and get your order in now, before you call Sideshow to order Star-Lord and they reply “Who??? He’s sold out.”
I AM GROOT! Pre-Order your Hot Toys Rocket Raccoon and/or Groot now!
I AM GROOT!
Hot Toys and Sideshow Collectibles has surprised us! Now there are a total of three Hot Toys 1/6 scale Movie Masterpiece Series figures up for pre-order today! Earlier we announced the Toy Fairs Exclusive Iron Man in Python Armor figure, and now available for pre-order are the Guardians of the Galaxy heroes Rocket Raccoon and Groot!
Rocket Raccoon is a smaller figure, and priced accordingly. Wearing his grey and orange space suit, he comes with 17 points of articulation, his big rifle from the film, 3 pairs of interchangeable hands, and a figure stand. At 1/6 scale he stands 16cm (just over 6-inches) tall.
Then there is Groot, the giant tree. As trees are not very nimble he has only 15 points of articulation…but he’s big, standing 39cm (well over 15-inches) tall! He also has 3 interchangeable pairs of hands.
But if you’re the type of collector (or just The Collector) who has to have both you can get even more! Sideshow’s exclusive figure 2-pack gives you both figures, plus you get 3 extra Groot accessories — 2 more pairs of hands, plus an alternate Groot face showing his angry expression.
These are up for order now, and as the Guardians gain heat they’re likely to be in high demand, so head to Sideshow and order your Rocket, Groot, or both now!
Gentle Giant Announces SDCC Exclusive Rocket Raccoon Mini-Bust!
Every year since obtaining the Marvel license for mini-busts in 2011 Gentle Giant has released an animal-related San Diego Comic-Con International exclusive. First in 2011 was Squirrelpool. In 2012 came Thor Frog. In 2013 we were given Spider-Ham.
But in 2014, with the Guardians of the Galaxy movie opening one week after Comic-Con, one Marvel animal was the obvious choice for this year’s exclusive–Rocket Raccoon.
Unlike the previous animal releases, however, Rocket is a full-sized mini-bust standing almost 5 inches tall, and coming in at the regular $70 retail price.
This item will be available for sale (and, with the upcoming film, likely really hard to get) at San Diego Comic-Con, but if you’re in Gentle Giant’s Premiere Guild you can pre-order him now and have him shipped to your door! Even if you’re going to the convention, given the heat on this furry guy this summer I highly suggest pre-ordering and quickly–Gentle Giant’s McQuarrie Luke Skywalker Mini-Bust has pre-sold out and I expect Rocket will do the same!
Pre-Order and Deal Alert: Marvel Movie Funko POP Vinyl Figures!
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A Funko Exclusive POP and Three Others at a Great Discount! |
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| Attention Funko POP Vinyl collectors! Today is a great day to pick up four new characters for your collection!
First and most important, earlier this week the Amazon Exclusive Unmasked Star Lord Guardians of the Galaxy POP was put up for pre-order. It sold out in just a number of hours making collectors fear having to pay a high price on the secondary market, but this morning it is back available for order! So if you want this exclusive POP do not hesitate, go and order it today! Plus today only Entertainment Earth is having a great sale on the POP Vinyls from Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Get Captain America, Black Widow, or Winter Soldier for only $6.50 each! This sale ends tonight, so snatch up the savings now!
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BACK UP FOR ORDER — Preorder Alert: Guardians of the Galaxy Marvel Legends Figures
Update: Apr 1, 2014 – 20:43 These figures are again in stock so place your order now!
Update: Apr 1, 2014 – 18:16 Amazon has changed the status of all the figures to “Currently Unavailable” meaning their original allocation is likely sold out. Please keep your eyes here and follow Marvelicious Toys on Facebook or on Twitter and we’ll let you know if/when these are again available!
Original text follows:
They are the Guardians of the Galaxy. Or they’re “a bunch of a-holes.” Either way, they’re making their way to a theater near you this August in the newest Marvel Cinematic Universe film! But in June the toys for the movie are scheduled to start hitting–and the pre-orders have now begun. Right now you can order all 6 Guardians of the Galaxy Marvel Legends figures from Amazon.com!
Already this summer Marvel movie fans and collectors have seen the crazy hunt for Legends figures. From Hasbro’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Legends line where Carnage and Toxin go for $30 and up to Captain America: The Winter Soldier toy line with Black Widow going for over $60, it’s been difficult to find these figures in stores at all. But now at Amazon you can get all six of these figures for the MSRP of $21.99, and free shipping of orders over $35 (or with Amazon Prime).
The figures that make up this Toy Line are:
From the Guardians of the Galaxy film:
Star-Lord
Rocket Raccoon
Gamora
Drax
From the Guardians of the Galaxy comic:
Plus buy all six and build Groot–the giant tree character voiced by Vin Diesel!
If the Captain America and Spider-Man Legends are any indication these will likely pre-sell out fast. Save yourself gas and time and get your order in now at Amazon.com!
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