Superhero movies that feature multiple heroes often feel–in a good way–like the film’s director is playing with action figures all over again, just on a much larger scale. In fact, for those of us who did grow up to study film, concocting elaborate scenarios with Star Wars figures was probably our first inkling of what it might feel like to direct, and the beginning of a lifetime of interest. So the toys matter. And now, for everyone aspiring to be Zack Snyder with an assist from Joss Whedon, we can see what Mattel has in store for Justice League.
Revealed via the movie’s Join the League website, these figures will join Mattel’s collector-focused Multiverse line, though it’s interesting to note that only Batman and Flash definitely appear to have ab-crunch articulation so far, indicating a smart case-by-case approach to pose-ability versus aesthetic (these are likely prototypes and subject to last-minute changes, however). Superman’s inclusion seems to indicate he’ll be back in his familiar costume, though of course toy lines can and have been deliberately misleading at times in order to conceal spoilers.
Multiverse figures usually come with a “Collect and Connect” piece of a larger figure or accessory; just as the Wonder Woman movie assortment let you build Ares, I suspect big bad Steppenwolf might come in that form this time around, but we haven’t had a good look at him yet. And there will be the usual lower-priced figures aimed at kids that emphasize action features and accessories over detail–the Batmobile looks to be scaled for a smaller figure (or possibly a non-removable one, as often happens), and the site also posted a brief stop-motion video of one of their basic Batmans in action:
As odd as the Flash’s costume aesthetic is, I think it works really well in toy form, which is probably no coincidence. And one big advantage toy buyers have over the actual movie directors is that we get the full costumes in hand, while on set there are often motion-capture suits and digital cape replacement.
Check out all the figures revealed so far in our gallery below. Which one’s your favorite? Unite your thoughts in comments below.
Images: Mattel/Warner Bros.
