Warner Bros. and Mattel have agreed to extend their licensing deal for DC Comics based toys. Toy News Online reports that they have signed a multi-year deal that allows Mattel to produce toys based on all of the DC Comics characters. Below are a few quotes from the article.
Under the terms of the deal, Mattel has unprecedented access to the complete DC Comics vault of characters, which includes over a thousand Super Heroes and Super Villains, such as Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman and The Joker.
The agreement also includes characters such as The Flash, Aquaman, Shazam!, Green Arrow and Hawkman.
As part of the ongoing relationship, Mattel will develop toy ranges for Warner’s upcoming films – the Dark Knight Rises on July 20th, 2012 and Man of Steel on June 14th, 2013, Man of Steel.
Future television-based collaborations include Warner Bros Animation’s series, Green Lantern: The Animated Series, along with ongoing product support for Young Justice.
In addition to the rights to existing DC Comics characters, animation and motion pictures, the extension includes Mattel’s rights to produce toys based on future DC Comics films and animation projects that are developed and produced during the term of the agreement.
You can read the full article Here.
Mattel and Warner Bros Extend Licensing Deal
Good to know.
Mattel's 6" figs are top notch.
Too bad we won't see Hasbro with the license though, 3.75" DC figs would have been cool.
Not the best news I've ever heard. I'm not a fan of mattel's products at all, though I would like toys from a number of the licences they hold.
As far as I'm concerned, companies should be doing their best to take their licenses back from these people.
As far as I'm concerned, companies should be doing their best to take their licenses back from these people.
DCUC and MOTUC are some of the best 6" figs on the market for collectors IMO.
First off, hurray, Young Justice figures
Secondly, maybe finally we'll get variety in action figures, it feels like the same ones are always made.
3.75" is the bread and butter of Hasbro. Mattel's bread and butter is Barbie and hotwheels.
As a six-inch figure collector, I strongly approve this message. I just hope Mattel continues to extend their agreements with Four Horsemen Studios.
Wow, Young Justice Amazo is pretty rad looking. I missed this previously. I always wished his DCUC figure was larger (C&C sized), especially since the DCD version looks so lame.
Kind of disappointed but, at least we're still getting figures. I mean it's good that the two companies have such a good relation as well. Oh well...to hope of some good stuff from them.
Meh. Mettel is doing ok with DC. I wish they would put out there 3.75 figs again. Some of them were worth it and just as they were fixing the articulation they dissapeared from the shelves.
I've been getting into the 6 inch line getting chicks and bad guys. The CNC figs are great. I just wish the reg figs were bigger like MOTUC.
Not really good news.
The 6" Mattel figures are great but everything under 6" just looks bad and cheap. The 4" figures just don't look good next to a Hasbro figure so the only cool looking way to do the cross over thing might be when the DC and Marvel Lego line hits.
Yes for all 6 inch collectors this is an awesome day. As long as what was referenced earlier that Mattel keeps its contract with the Four Horseman then their should be a ton of figures they could do for the DCU. However if ur a 3 3/4 INCH collector, and you've seen the god awful Infinite Crisis figures or even more horrible the Green Lantern 4inch line, then you know Mattel will phone it in or not even bother trying. For heaven's sake ur a Major American toy company and ur 4inch action figures look like cheap knock offs.
I like this news and I have faith in Mattel to deliver quality but I fear that they have so much going on with other lines that we might not get that great of a selection with Batman Rises toys .
It is no doubt that DCUC and MOTUC are awesome. What I find strange is how their James Cameron's Avatar™ toys were a step up from the 3.75" Crisis line. Then later, the smaller Green Lantern toys go back to limited articulation. If they could put that same Avatar amount of effort into new Batman and Superman movie lines, I would be so happy.
Wait...Mattel did the Avatar toys?! That's news to me. I'm in agreement with many on the issues that plague their 3.75'' toys. Oh well, more money in the pocket after all.
Nooooooo!!!!!! This sucks!
Yay!! More awsome 6" figures!
Nay!! More shitty 3 3/4" figures!
I think this is great news. Totally gets me more excited waiting for the DCUC subscription figures coming out next year.
At the same time I agree with everyone in regards to the 3.75" figures..... oh if Hasbro got their hands on those. Words ... I have no words XD
I *really* don't think the GL or IH line are nearly as bad as everyone keeps ranting about. They're not deserving of how badly they get trashed.
They're fairly meh figures. Sure they don't have enough articulation. But all they need are knee and elbow joints, and in the case of IH, some accessories. They both had terrific sculpting.
And based on my sampling of the MU, I also don't think those are nearly as deserving of the praise they get. They haven't lived up to their nearly infinite praise.
They're *also* fairly meh figures. They're extremely fragile, don't work right, and have too *much* articulation. Their sculpting also leaves more than a lot to be desired.
(Seriously, my X-23 has less usable articulation than my GL Kilowog, and I had to go through half a dozen of her to find one with decent paint and claws that weren't bent to hell)
For me, Mattel continuing the 6" line is great! DCUC are the best action figures I've ever collected. They beat the snot out of Toybiz' and Hasbro's ML. They could use some work, but everything has room for improvement.
I just wish the 6" market wasn't pretty much dead, and boarderline too expensive to collect due to production costs.
I miss the day when a figure like a DCUC would cost $8 bucks.
I have to admit to being saddened by the news. Did it ever mention how long the agreement was extended, though?
I've fallen away from the six inch lines because they cost too much and the 4 inch ones are just more fun in my opinion. I can see how six inch fans can be happy about this.
They're fairly meh figures. Sure they don't have enough articulation. But all they need are knee and elbow joints, and in the case of IH, some accessories. They both had terrific sculpting.
The whole avatar thing kills me with Mattel. They're capable of doing something decent, just not willing.
They're *also* fairly meh figures. They're extremely fragile, don't work right, and have too *much* articulation. Their sculpting also leaves more than a lot to be desired.
(Seriously, my X-23 has less usable articulation than my GL Kilowog, and I had to go through half a dozen of her to find one with decent paint and claws that weren't bent to hell)
I just wish the 6" market wasn't pretty much dead, and boarderline too expensive to collect due to production costs.
I miss the day when a figure like a DCUC would cost $8 bucks.
As for the retail, Mattel says that a DCUC style like will continue at retail, but it'll be focusing almost exclusively on bigname characters like Superman, Wonder Woman, and Flash. But Larfleeze is getting a retail release and now they say "We never said we're not doing obscure characters anymore."
No one quite understands how the retail line will play out, because they haven't really made any detailed statements.
Full Thread: WB and Mattel Extend Licensing Deal
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