Toy retailers were nervous and cautious when it came to the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie, not knowing whether the weirdest Marvel Studios movie thus far was going to be as solid a hit as those featuring familiar heroes. As a result, many of us collectors failed to even complete the team or build Groot when–ironically–the Iron Man figure Hasbro added to the toy line as a “sure thing” ended up clogging the pegs, while Rocket Raccoon sold out immediately. There’ll be no such chaos this time: now that popular culture and fandom have embraced the Guardians completely, you can expect a galaxy’s worth of toys to invade your favorite retailers. We’ve already seen the first wave of Hasbro Marvel Legends, and wondered why Baby Groot wasn’t included, but now we see some of the bigger plans for that particular character, namely an 11.5″ dancing figure who can be preordered starting Feb. 15th.
(Nice of them to wait until after Valentine’s Day, so your significant other won’t be jealous of all the time you spend playing with it.)
Baby Groot features light-up eyes and sounds, namely an audio clip of “Come a Little Bit Closer” that he can dance to. Prefer your own soundtrack? He’ll dance to just about anything. Yes, even [insert name of artist or band you think “isn’t real music” here]. He retails for around $34.99, and batteries are included.
Also coming at the end of this month are comic-based figures of the core five Guardians from Diamond Select, allowing you to preorder and/or grab the whole team at once. Seen first at Toyark, Groot, Drax, Star-Lord, and a Rocket/Gamora two-pack come in the comic outfits that most closely resemble their movie counterparts, and feature multiple accessories like interchangeable hands, alternate heads, and interlocking base diorama pieces. Each figure has 16 points of articulation, though it should be noted that some of these early images are prototypes and don’t all showcase the final full poseability.
Considering that Diamond usually only ships out one Marvel figure at a time, this is a rare chance to not have to worry whether or not initial sales justify making all the key characters. So come and get your toy love.
Check out more images of Baby Groot and the Diamond Select figures in our gallery below. Are you gonna make like Benicio del Toro and try to be a collector of them all? Let us know in comments.
Images: Hasbro and Diamond Select Toys