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Hasbro: Marvel Universe Exclusive Interview Annual #2
Posted by Curto on July 24, 2010 at 11:00 AM CST:


As the community anxiously awaits word on new information coming from this year's San Diego Comic-Con, I had the opportunity to once again talk at length with Hasbro about the Marvel Universe toy line. This year we sit down with Senior Brand Manager Jerry Jivoin and Senior Designer David Vonner from Hasbro's Marvel brand team, to take a look back at Series 1, see where things stand right now, and take a sneak peek into the future. Prepare yourself for insight into the planning of the line, a sneak peek at what's to come, and more than one fanboy moment!

Can you name them all?
Hasbro's Marvel Universe: Volume I


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Dan Curto: Last year we started off with a Marvel fanboy status question. Jerry, since you weren't part of the interview last year, this question goes to you...who is your favorite Marvel character and on a similar note, which is your favorite storyline?

David Vonner:
Oh I know what storyline...we talked about just today.

Jerry Jivoin:
I think probably overall, the character I have the most affiliation for is Colossus from the X-Men. As far as storyline...I actually have 2 issues about him that are favorites. One was the barfight that he had with Juggernaut back in Uncanny X-Men #183. Right after they got back from the Secret Wars, Wolverine and Nightcrawler take him out and Colossus gets into a brawl with Juggernaut. That was just a great issue for me...it was just so much fun for me to read that as a kid.

The other one was in the Morlock tunnels, during the "Mutant Massacre" where the X-Men were fighting the Marauders and Colossus was fighting...who was that guy, Whirlwind?

Curto: I think it was Riptide...

Vonner: Riptide. Riptide.

Jivoin: Yeah, Riptide. That was the first person that Colossus ever killed in battle,

Vonner: Yeah, so that kind of freaked him out.

Jivoin: Right...it freaked him, although he was saving everybody....but I just always remembered that scene as being a very pivotal moment in the X-Men's lives, with everything going on and the mutants being hunted, I thought it was a very cool issue and great storyline.
Vonner: That's where Angel got his wings clipped too...pinned him to the wall!

Jivoin: Yeah, that was a just a great storyline

Curto: Absolutely agree...one of the first of the major crossovers for Marvel. Speaking of that storyline, do you think you would ever re-visit that classic battle in action figure form?

Jivoin: You never know...Dave and I have been talking about all kinds of different themes for the Comic Packs, and sets for different multipacks for Marvel Universe that are coming out...there's so much out there that we haven't even tapped into yet. A lot of great Marvel storylines that we want to do, and we're going to.

We also leverage a lot of anniversary times...like last year was the 25th anniversary for Secret Wars, so we focused on that to commemorate the crossover that started it all. We're checking into what would be a cool anniversary storyline to tap into for toys.


Hasbro's Marvel Universe Secret Wars Comic Packs series


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Curto: Speaking of Secret Wars and 2009...since that was the first year of Marvel Universe (Volume I), how do you judge the debut year looking back? How successful was it?

Vonner: I think it was a huge success for us. We came out the gate with a lot of characters. Actually with more than we originally planned to do. The Secret Wars 2-packs were fun, because a lot of characters showed up that never appeared as toys before and it was really cool to revisit some of those old characters. We just dived into the books and figured out who really could make it into the line, you know? I think 2009 in general was a really good year. It was hot!

Jivoin: We did have some issues where we ran out of stock on the Comic Packs, some characters we had to weave in and out throughout the year, depending on demand. But despite all of that stuff, it was a great year for sales. Things got off to a great start, but it was also a good learning year too. Things we learned from last year, we've taken into account for this year and also carrying it over into 2011.

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Curto: What about 2010? It seems that across the board, most of Hasbro's boys toy lines has been "making way for Iron Man" with nothing much new for the first half of the year...lots of relaunches in August. However, Marvel Universe actually has been the one line that has been putting out new product, with at least 2 waves this year: wave 7, which includes a fantastic Thor Reborn figure, and wave 8, with your favorites Colossus and Juggernaut. However, the main issue is that nobody can find these....they are all very hard to find in stores. is there anything being done about figure distribution?

Jivoin: Dan, we are looking into that. We have been seeing that across the boards, and we know we were heavy on some figures that shipped out last year. That was actually one of the Q&A questions we just answered. We are addressing those issues and making sure that plenty of those newer waves will get out there. One thing I want to mention...there's no plan to stop Marvel Universe. We're continuing with the line, taking what we've learned from 2009 to make things better for this year and beyond.

Vonner: It's kind of funny too, because the 2010 line kind of started a little bit early. By the time the second 2010 wave got out, it seemed like there was a lag, but really it's because the first wave was early. It was supposed to be out in March, but they ended up hitting stores in December.

Jivoin: We'll probably see that again this year...the first wave of the 2011 series will probably hit a little bit early, just so we can keep freshness at retail. We'll be premiering that wave at San Diego Comic-Con.

Curto: In regards to that early 2010 wave, are there any plans that those figures will be re-released at some point, because those figures are impossible to find.

Jivoin: Yes, we're going to be reissuing those so fans can get them. We have been hearing this a lot, Dan, and that's part of the things we're addressing on figures people are still looking for. We want to make sure we can deliver what everybody's looking to get.

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Curto: It seems like the "Secret Wars Quartet" (referring to the original Marvel figure line: Captain America, Spider-Man, Iron Man, and Wolverine)...these are always available. and pretty much, this is all that's at retail now are variations of these 4 characters. I'm curious if this is something that will continue: releasing those 4 characters over and over again, especially since each of them characters has (well, Wolverine is over, and presumably Cap is coming next year) their own dedicated toy lines? Are you at all concerned that you are basically competing with yourself?

Jivoin: Yeah, there is some concern there really...I think that's something we will be addressing that in the future. With the first year of Marvel Universe, we tried to really mix in A-list heavy hitters with Marvel Universe, along with mixing in some of the lesser-known collector figures. When I talked about some of the learning we had to do in 2009, finding the balance between the two was one of them. How do we mix that balance? With a brand new line, you need to look at those lessons....what sold, and how many. Then you can figure out what's the proper ratio is that we should release to retail.

Curto: One thing I think that fans may not realize is just how far in advance these things are decided. So, in some cases, you are reacting to what the reality is as opposed to the projections were.

Jivoin: That's a great point. The planning is years ahead of release. For example, we're already talking about what we've got coming for 2012 right now. Planning is anywhere from 12 to 18 months in advance, sometimes almost 2 years ahead of time. A lot of planning goes into which figures are coming out when and case assortments ship.


Hasbro's MARVEL UNIVERSE - Wave 8


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Curto: When the 4" Marvel Universe line was first revealed, there was a lot of excitement over the possibilities in this line and what we would see....and Series 2, wave 3 (what I like to think of as wave 8...thinking of MU as one big line) is the payoff that really delivers on that promise. The return of very popular X-Men characters like Colossus, Archangel, Havok and the new body types Juggernaut, AIM Soldier are really great. Even though Havok and Archangel are basically the same body we've seen often, they just feel like new figures with a lot of attention paid to details..really well done.

Vonner: Thank you

Curto: However, the only exception ....

Jivoin: (laughs) I think I'll let Dave take this one.

Vonner: Uh-oh.

Curto: The only exception being Kitty Pryde. Basically, We NEED another body type for female figures! Can you tell us anything on this...when we will see that?

Vonner: Yes, we're working on one now in fact.

Curto: Cool. Any hints on who will be the first character to debut it?

Vonner: Um...the character will be a fan-favorite. We're looking at it being X-23. She'll have some new points of articulation in there, we'll address the elbows, hips, and other "regions". This will be our new female figure from now on, and we'll have other "adjustments" as we go along.

Really, it was a toss-up between X-23 and She-Hulk. But the She-Hulk body type was limited because we really can't get a lot of mileage out of that body type. There are really only a few female characters that fit that body type in the Marvel Universe. We want to do a She-Hulk, but we have to think about things from a tooling standpoint, where else we can use the molds.

Curto: Right...well, there's at least 5 different costumes for She-Hulk by herself, and I can think of other characters like Titania, Thundra, and a few others that would fit that bill. But I understand what you are saying...she's considerably bigger than the typical female super-hero.

Vonner: Right. There are other other female characters with that body type that we can touch on, but X-23 offers more variety for us. Plus, here's another thing about X-23...that's Craig Kyle's favorite character.

Curto: Yeah, because he created her for the X-Men Evolution cartoon series...

Vonner: Exactly. Well, he's a real good friend and he's a fan of the line, and he's currently working on this little movie called THOR...he basically pinned me up against the wall and said "X-23. 'nuff said!" and he's kind of a big dude, so I didn't want to challenge him.

Curto: Nice. She's another character that's had a number of different costumes over the years. Which costume will this figure be for her: the "Fang" outfit, X-Men suit, or the X-Force costume, continuing to build that team?

Vonner: It will most likely be the X-Force costume. We already have Wolverine, Warpath, and the fans voted for Archangel for the Marvel.com exclusive. So this will flesh out that team more.

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Curto: Speaking of the fan-favorites... the mysterious last runner-up from the 2009 Fans' Choice Poll...without asking who it is, because it seems you want to keep that under wraps, when are we going to find out? there have been some new characters revealed recently, and there are a few potentials in there that were on the original list of candidates.

Jivoin: It will be revealed soon.

Curto: I thought it might be something you wanted to save for Comic-Con, but I have to ask...because I've asked about it a few times already now.

Vonner: It will be sooner than that...should be in the next issue of ToyFare magazine.

Curto: Great. So, when do you think the time would be right for another Fans' Choice Poll?

Jivoin: We're definitely going to do more. We just need to figure out the best timing for the next one. Maybe for the fall. Or maybe even for Comic-Con. We love doing them.

Curto: So, we're going to see more new characters debuting at Comic-Con?

Jivoin: Definitely. We'll be showing all of the figures for 2010, as well as premiering the first wave of 2011. That goes for all of the Marvel lines...showing up to the first waves of 2011. We're still waiting for confirmations from Marvel, specifically on the Thor and Captain America stuff, as far as what we can show, and

Vonner: We have a lot more with Marvel Universe too. There will be some pretty cool mutants that we'll be showing. Or mutant adversaries, or sons of mutants and mutant adversaries. All kinds of stuff. We got a lot going on this year.

Jivoin: There will be some cool exclusives too. There are quite a few that haven't been revealed yet, and they'll be on display at Comic-Con as well.


Hasbro's MARVEL UNIVERSE - Wave 7


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Curto: One of the things that many fans have been confused about is the various running changes and variants in this line. As someone who is trying to keep track of these myself, can you tell us just how many are there? There have also been photos of variants for 2010, none of them have actually hit stores yet...are these still coming?

Vonner: Well, first there's the Wolverine with the revised head sculpt on the Jim Lee X-Men team uniform figure...that one is starting to hit stores now. With the running changes...sometimes they are planned, and other times they are not. As the demand increases, we sometimes come up with a different idea, and we try to work that idea into the manufacturing cycle. It's hard to get them all listed, because we don't always catch it in time. For instance, with the Ms. Marvel figure: she was already planned to have the "Warbird" costume, and we already had planned to do the 1970s costume variant. But then the Dark Avengers "Moonstone Ms. Marvel" happened in the comics. We had already had Ms. Marvel done, nothing else planned, but then we made a variant based on the new comics

Curto: Which is funny, because that's a variant I suggested during last year's interview.

Vonner: Was it? Well, even better. Unfortunately, we didn't catch it until the end of the next production cycle, so we had to wait to ramp it up in order for that version to come out again. So, we're trying to get her out there again. We included her in the Marvel Digital fans' choice poll, but X-Force Archangel won that. There's always other opportunities to try and fit her in, like the 2-packs, or the 3-packs, or whatever it is we will do, but we're definitely going to find a way to get her out there.

Jivoin: Dan, we're also working on a comprehensive checklist as well. We've heard from a lot of people that they want one.

Curto: Yes, I myself have brought it up a few times.

Jivoin: It's something that we're working on, including all of the variants, so that people know what to look for.

Vonner: The Vision, Warpath, Luke Cage, Black Widow...those are real variants that will be coming in future assortments soon.

Curto: That will be good, because there's a lot of confusion right now as to if these are actually ever going to be made.

Vonner: There's an Invisible Woman out there too...did you get her?

Curto: Oh yeah....well, she's around here someplace...

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Curto: Last year, there was a theme for the line with S.H.I.E.L.D./Secret Invasion/Fury Files. This year is a Dark Reign/H.A.M.M.E.R. Files theme. But it seems that the schedule is a little bit off, as far as matching with Marvel's publishing schedule. Are you able to work closely enough with Marvel to tap into what they are putting out so that perhaps next year the themes can coincide?

Jivoin: We do have a theme planned for next year, but we're not ready to announce that yet. we do work closely with Marvel, but the unfortunate part is the lead time needed for toys and for print is very different. I know it's not exactly what's going on in the books, but we do try to keep things as close as we can in regards to the characters we're releasing. Marvel's great to work with as far as getting us the storylines they're working on and we can sync up the toy line.

Vonner: Exactly. We're always talking to them about extending the storylines and following the books to kind of keep everything together. With Marvel, everything happens so quickly, and we can't really move that fast. To balance that out, we work in some anniversary themes, because those stories have been around a little longer.


Hasbro's MARVEL UNIVERSE Series I Toys "R" Us Exclusives


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Curto: There have been some nice surprises lately...with smaller "accessories" being included with the figures (Wasp, Lockheed, Ms. Lion, and now Ant-Man). Are these fun to do, and do you have any other ones planned?

Vonner: Yeah, we have quite a few actually. I mean, these are characters too, right? Even Ms. Lion, who found out is really a boy. They play their part in the Marvel Universe, and it's a fun way to get them out there.

Curto: It's also interesting that Yellowjacket comes packed with a tiny Ant-Man. Does it stand to reason that we will see an Ant-Man packed with a tiny Yellowjacket?

Vonner: That seems fair to me!

Curto: I love Ms. Lion. When we saw her at Toy Fair, I thought that was fantastic, and a nice continuing nod to the Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends cartoon.

Vonner: She was the 8th little superhero, after all...she saved the day. Also, since Firestar was really created as a combination of Mary Jane and the Human Torch, we were able to bring it around by packing in Ms. Lion as an added bonus.

Curto: What, no love for Aunt May? (laughs)

Vonner: You know...Aunt May....is really big in the geriatric community. And we want to hit every character, so one day...when we get around to the 75th anniversary of the Marvel Universe, Aunt May will be there, with some new slippers!

Jivoin: She has a lot of fans out there.

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Curto: This leads into one of the questions I have been getting lately, is a desire to see more civilian characters. Fans seem eager to get characters like Tony Stark and Peter Parker in their civilian identities...any plans for something like this, or do you plan to stick to their costumed alter egos?

Jivoin: I think for the most part, we'd stick to the more heroic versions, but we do those types of characters when appropriate. Like in Iron Man 2 movie line...there's times when we can do stuff like that, especially with the exclusives. Never rule it out...when you think of the different exclusives that we do in Marvel Universe, maybe for Comic-Con or something....we always look at that as far as what type of characters we would do.

Vonner: Is there any civilian character that you would like to see, more than any others?

Curto: Actually, yes...Jarvis, from the Avengers. (laughs) No, seriously...with a big Avengers year coming up...Jarvis! How an the roster be complete without the man who takes care of them all?

Vonner: You know, we talked about Jarvis. He should come with a vacuum cleaner.

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Curto: Speaking of characters I'd like to see turned into action figures, I do it every time we meet, so I'm going to ask again about the team I'd love to see turned into action figures...

ALL (in unison) Guardians of the Galaxy!

Curto: (laughs) That's right. Well, I'm going to keep bringing them up. Now you've got two unique teams to work from...any thoughts on this team?

Jivoin: (laughs) You never know. We've talked about some stuff.

Vonner: We will definitely throw in a few of the cosmic characters--

Curto: I know you love those guys...

Vonner: You know I love them. We are going to go beyond Silver Surfer and Galactus -- who debuts at Comic-Con -- we have a few new ones that will be coming.

Curto: Okay, well, I can't help but notice that the A.I.M. Soldier's uniform is very similar to the current team...

Vonner: It looks like it's tailored for Star-Lord, doesn't it?

Curto: Yes, it does...not only Ghost Rider, but definitely similar to the new Guardians team uniform...a multi-purpose suit!

Vonner: They all go to the same tailor. That guy is making money hand over fist.


Hasbro's MARVEL UNIVERSE Galactus


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Curto: Okay, since you mentioned Galactus...there's a lot of excitement over this figure. Personally, I can't wait to get it, it was very impressive when I saw it at Toy Fair. Are there any plans for more of these larger characters? We saw the three Gigantic Battles sets at Walmart last year, but nothing since then.

Jivoin: We do have plans for some other big characters...but you'll have to tune in to Comic-Con to see what's next. We've got plans for the main line, but there are some exclusives as well.

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Curto: I mentioned earlier that there's almost a competition going on with Iron Man 2: do you consider that to be a competing line, or a part of the Marvel Universe line? Although there have been a couple overlaps, there are obviously different armors in that line that's not in Universe, but they could be carried over.

Vonner: It's funny because the Iron Man 2 Comic Series...I do kind of compete with myself a little. There are some classic comic book armors that will be in the IM2 Comic Series...some that fans have been asking for for a long time now.

Jivoin: Actually, what's nice about having the Comic Series...it's a great way to compliment and expand on the Marvel Universe line. We get to offer a lot more characters from the Iron Man corner of the Marvel Universe that we wouldn't be able to fit in with MU. They are fan-favorites, but also kid-favorites too. I think it's a great way to celebrate it.

Curto: You can see where there's some thought being put into reusability here as well. The Guardsman figure is a fantastic example of a generic body that could be used for any number of characters.

Vonner: Yes, that's a character I always liked, and plus, he's an army builder as well, so you need to buy multiples. And you're right, it can be reused for a number of other characters. In fact, it will be used on another character in particular that will be coming soon.

Curto: Will that be in Iron Man 2 or Marvel Universe?

Vonner: It will be in Iron Man, but it won't be an Iron Man. It will be another villain. We need more of those.

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Curto: The Wolverine line from last year had the same concept: a movie series and a comic series. We talked last year about more characters included in that line, but since that particular line ended with just 4 waves, will we see some of those characters brought over into Marvel Universe? We've already seen that the body of Spy Gear Wolverine will be used for a Team X Wolverine, but there are a number of gother reat sculpts from that line that are really too good to just let them go away.

Vonner: Like the Deadpool sculpt?

Curto: Deadpool was great, but I was thinking of Sabretooth specifically.

Vonner: Yeah, that Sabretooth was nice too. I'll definitely grab them...if I can use them, I'll take them and include them in Universe.

Curto: So nothing is really off-limits from that line?

Jivoin: No, I mean all of the toolings for Marvel figures are available for us to use in various capacities.

Vonner: We just have to coordinate it. First of all, making sure that it's not being used any more. If it is, then we'll definitely use it, recycle it, and make it better. We'll do what we need to do to expand on the line. There may be some technical things that need to eb done, but it's definitely not off-limits.

Jivoin: That's the great thing: we knew that after a few years, we'd have a great library of tools to dip into, really giving a lot of different things for fans.

Curto: Would you also tap into some of the other lines as well, like over in Marvel Legends, you did a huge Fin Fang Foom as a Build-A-Figure...and of course, he'd still be a great big villain for Marvel Universe. Would you consider re-releasing that figure on its' own?

Vonner: With a change...he needs to have the shorts.

Curto: Oh? Is that a design decision, or is that a retail decision...stores not wanting to sell "naked" characters?

Vonner: I just think he looks good with pants on! (laughs)

Curto: So you would alter him somehow...you wouldn't do a straight repack?

Jivoin: We'll do something. It's definitely been talked about.


Hasbro's MARVEL LEGENDS Fin Fang Foom Build-A-Figure


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Curto: Last year, there was something special with figure #25, which was planned to be Nick Fury, abut then was changed to Electro, making it a little special, even though it was released out of order. Are there any similar plans this year? Maybe not specifically #25, but perhaps another number?

Vonner: Yes, we are going to be doing a special 25th figure again. It will have a silver foil tag, Should we tell him who it is? Oh, no...you will have to wait on that one, Dan.

Curto: Ah...always with the waiting!

Vonner: That's just a fun thing we like to do...holding off so we can share the excitement in the line. But, yes, there will be another 25th figure coming.

Jivoin: It's something we like to do, and it seems the fans liked it as well, so we'll continue to do that going forward.

Curto: Cool...even though Electro was a body based on another figure, I think he was one of the better figures from the first year. Really stands out in the line-up.

Vonner: You know, that figure was done right when we were really starting to hit our stride, in terms of what we wanted to do, and how to do it. Because when we started going to 3-3/4" for Marvel, it was kind of a new thing for everybody here...because it was a new scale. I mean Showdown was done in 3-3/4" but...

Curto: Well, I mean it's not really 3-3/4" is it? the figures are a little bit bigger than that.

Vonner: True. We like to say 3-3/4" even though we know that it's really not. I mean, we have G.I. Joe and Star Wars in that scale, but these guys are superheros, they need to be a little larger than life. I mean, they wear spandex, have capes, really have a different type of attitude and proportions. It was kind of a new thing for everybody going into it. So, when we really got our stride and knew how we would handle it, that's when was added in, so he was really the first in a new era.


Hasbro's MARVEL UNIVERSE - Wave 5


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Curto: One thing that has just popped up recently is a new listing for Secret Wars Comic packs. Obviously, these aren't more Secret Wars stories, since you already covered all 12 issues. The listing is for Wolverine & Captain America, and Iron Man & Thor. Can you talk about what versions of these we're looking forward to?

Jivoin: You are right...they aren't Secret Wars 25th anniversary sets. These will be part of the next theme, which will be "Greatest Battles"

Curto: So, these would be Wolverine Vs. Cap and Iron Man Vs. Thor, not a Marvel Team-Up, if you will...

Vonner: Right. The Cap & Wolverine set is from Captain America Annual #8, with the cool Mike Zeck cover, where Wolverine is slashing Cap's shield with sparks flying...

Curto: I love it! Great issue.

Vonner: (laughs) That was one of my favorite covers when I was a kid

Curto: Me too...I had the poster and everything...very cool!

Vonner: Yeah yeah...I remember that. Zeck did a Punisher one too, remember that?

Jivoin: I had the poster too, and right now at my house, I've got that very issue framed between glass. It was such a great comic.

Curto: Back then, Wolverine was really fighting everyone he ever met, which made for some interesting crossovers. So, you've already done these characters before, what will be different about them? Will we get more accurate figures this time around?

Vonner: You mean, with Cap's belt? yeah...

Curto: Right, the belt, the mask, the sleeves...the Cap figures from last year did not have the correct belt, since it started out as an Ultimate Cap figure. The current classic Cap (World War II) has the correct belt, but the mask isn't the modern version.

Vonner: Well, you know, Cap's about to have a new movie line...so you might see something there.

Curto: Good point. So, which Wolverine is this? The same taller figure we've gotten in Universe, or the smaller, more accurate figure from the Wolverine line?

Vonner: The Wolverine figure will be from the Universe line, but Cap's shield will have Wolverine's slash marks on it.

Curto: Nice. And what about the Thor Vs. Iron Man set?

Vonner: That's going to be Thor #3...when Thor was really ticked off at Iron Man for what he did during Civil War with that whole Ragnarok clone...he wanted to talk to him, but he didn't have time to do it, so he beat him down in about 4 pages! When that came out, we all just kind passed that issue around and knew we had to represent that battle. He really brought the power of the gods down on Iron Man. It was very cool.

Curto: So, this is the Thor Reborn figure from wave 7?

Vonner: Right. It'll be modern-day Thor with the Extremis armor Iron Man, packed with the issue.

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Curto: Okay, I know it's too early to really talk about the details on the line, but we know that Thor is the next Marvel movie coming out. It stands to reason that you'd be doing a toy line from the film, so without going into any specific characters, would you be splitting it up with subsections again: movie series, comic series, like what was done with Wolverine and Iron Man?

Jivoin: Yeah, we are looking at ways to do both. Of course the movie version, but also round it out with the classic comics characters as well. But it's not finalized yet.

Curto: I'd love to see more Asgardians from the comics brought out, like Loki, Balder, Heimdall, Beta Ray Bill, even Odin...and hey, Sif would be a great way to re-use a potential She-Hulk body on! (laughs)

Vonner: Mmmm-hmmm...

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Curto: Last year, we were able to showcase the Goliath red-and-blue costume variant from the Gigantic Battles set as part of the interview. Can we include something new for this line that we haven't seen yet? I know there have been a lot of reveals lately, but surely there's something cool still under wraps?

Jivoin: I'm sure we can.

Vonner: We can tell him about the Galactus variant...

Curto: I heard that!

Vonner: (laughs) Well, you've seen the Marvel Universe 19" Galactus: There is a variant that will be coming to devour the Earth sometime this Fall!

Curto: Wow, it really looks like this is based on the appearance in the Marvel Ultimate Alliance video game. I thought the sculpting on the figure looked familiar! So, there will be 3 different Galactus figures in total: the Comic-Con single-carded figure, the set with the Silver Surfer, and now this variant? That's a lot of Galactus!... Galacti? (Is there a plural for Galactus?)

Vonner: Do you want to see something else really cool? I think people will be excited over this one.

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For the first time, here's the Cool Toy Review exclusive debut...an all-new version of World War Hulk! This is a 3.75" scaled figure that may be coming to declare War on Earth sometime in the future!


Hasbro's MARVEL UNIVERSE World War Hulk!


Hasbro will be revealing BOTH images (you DID see the Galactus variant above, right? Shame on you if you missed it...!), as well as the FRONT view of World War Hulk, during its Comic-Con panel on Saturday, July 24th.

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Curto: Wow...that's a great-looking figure, even from behind! Thanks for sharing these with us, and thanks for taking the time for this year's interview. I can't wait to see what else you've got in store for us at Comic-Con!

Jivoin: You're welcome...I think you'll really like what we will be showing.

Vonner: Oh yeah! We still have a few tricks up our sleeves.

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Finally, if you've been following along the past few days with our annual "What If...I am part of Marvel Universe?" series of teasers, you may have gotten an even closer look into the future of this line. However, there's one character that most likely won't be seen for awhile...as mentioned in this final part of the interview...

Curto: I had an idea for this year's "What If?" teasers...what do you think about a series of images similar to the recent "I am a Secret Avenger" promos from the comics, where we show a silhouette of a figure that might be part of the upcoming line. Maybe "I am part of Marvel Universe" or something...

Jivoin: Cool. I like the idea.

Vonner: Yeah, I'm fine with it. I don't know, if you do a silhouette of the Impossible Man, people may know his cone head...

Curto: Right, some characters may be obscure, but people might still know who they are, like ROM...I don't even know if you can make a ROM figure, but he was cool back in the day.

Jivoin: Ohhhh....

Vonner: Dan, Dan, Dan....

Jivoin: Like a knife in our stomach....

Vonner: Thanks for the pain, Dan...

Curto: I know, I know...I'm a big fan of ROM myself.

Jivoin: We're working on that.

Vonner: There's a lot of love for that character over here.

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In case you wanted to review, here are all of the "What If...I am part of Marvel Universe?" hints for this year, in no particular order.
(click on each image for a closer look)




















We've already seen one of these teasers turn out to be legit...will there be more? Find out later tonight, true believers!

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