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NECA’s Doctor Strange Figure is an Awesome Last Minute Marvel Gift (Toy Review)

Sliding into stores at the very last minute as if he warped in just in time from some other dimension. NECA‘s quarter-scale Doctor Strange action figure is arriving—possibly near you!—this week. If you were waiting for a new 18-inch movie toy for Christmas, this is just like the third-act climax of your own personal Jingle All the Way, and it’s also a potential gift for that Marvel (or Benedict Cumberbatch) fan on your list who has everything, because there’s no way they got this already.

Following the “core four” Avengers and Spider-Man as NECA quarter-scales (which usually means 18 inches tall), Doctor Strange is an interesting choice. Ant-Man might have been more obvious, since he could double as Giant-Man for collectors of smaller figures; or perhaps one of the Guardians of the Galaxy. But Strange makes sense mainly because Benedict Cumberbatch has a significantly fervent fan base, and because rolling this character out now keeps everyone mindful of Infinity War, coming next summer, in which the good doctor should play a significant part.

His box, however, merely recounts the events of the first movie. (It’s small print, but trust me: that’s what it says.)

For accessories, Stephen comes with alternate hands, one of which can wear the removable sling ring, and an Eye of Agamotto necklace. Note that although Doctor Strange wears comic-accurate yellow gloves in Thor: Ragnarok, NECA has taken the more challenging route of giving him the bare hands with surgical rod shapes on each finger.

Unlike many other Strange figures, he doesn’t come with “magic” effects. Instead, he comes with the most badass embroidered cloak you’ve ever seen on one of these toys:

Be honest: in the movie, did you even notice the eye effect emanating from the shoulder? And that’s not all.

The cape includes bendy wires so that you can pose it. Obviously, this is “within reason,” because if you try to make it billow up too high those wires will just twist sideways and flop it downward, but it can allow you to do the classic “cloth out of my hand” magician’s pose:

He may not be Batman, but he can pretend to be…

Now, as far as likeness goes, something feels a little off—maybe the nose is a tad too big—but from head on, that is definitely recognizable as Cumberbatch.

From an angle, it looks a bit more like the comic version, or maybe Vincent Price (and note how the clasps on his cape are little fans!).

Thor is still the least of the Marvel likenesses, and is due for a refresher. Strange showcases notable sculpting progress since then.

Articulation-wise, he has the usual ball-jointed shoulders, hips, knees, elbows, wrists, ankles, neck, and mid-torso. His outfit restricts some of the joints, but he can still impersonate wrestler Jimmy “Superfly Snuka with aplomb.

While NECA’s first Captain America can still look a little bit oversized, Doctor Strange fits in quite well with others of his size and type.

He’ll set you back about $99.99, which is midrange for a NECA Q-scale. But he’ll definitely be a conversation piece.

If you’ve seen Stephen, M.D., in stores, let us know where in comments! There are just a couple days left to grab him for the fanboy or girl on your list…and they will thank you.

Images: Luke Y. Thompson

Luke Y. Thompson is Nerdist’s resident toy-aholic. For more toy pics and conversation, follow him on Twitter.

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