In years past, a panel about upcoming Star Wars products from Hasbro invariably would heavily feature the most famous Star Wars toy of all time: the 3.75-inch action figures and associated vehicles and playsets. It was very conspicuous at 2019’s San Diego Comic-Con, then, when that product line was virtually invisible during Hasbro’s Star Wars presentation. New products for the line are still coming, of course, as discussed at other conventions such as Toy Fair and Star Wars Celebration. But at Comic-Con, Hasbro’s panel was noticeably aimed at more expensive products for higher-end collectors, rather than children and their toys.
In fact, the only children’s toy given substantial mention on the panel is the new line of tie-in figures for the Galaxy of Adventures animated shorts. Like the previous Toy Box line, these figures are slightly larger, at five inches tall. They also include numerous points of articulation to provide maximum possible opportunities for kids to pose the figures. Hasbro’s designers shared slides showing how the action figure sculpts were created to closely match the appearance of the iconic characters in the Galaxy of Adventures animated shorts.
The rest of the panel was clearly aimed at adult collectors. The six-inch Black Series figures have impressive sculpts and accessories, and the upcoming figures are no exception. The panel revealed a second addition to the new premium eight-inch HyperReal line, in which the figures are as movie-accurate as possible, down to details such as hiding the joints and seams so that the posed character is far less visibly a plastic action figure. Following the first figure, Darth Vader, the second will be Luke Skywalker in his Bespin fatigues, suitable for recreating the famous duel from The Empire Strikes Back.
The showcase reveal of the panel was the full-scale replica of Boba Fett’s helmet, coming later this year. Rather than the toy roleplay helmets of the past, this Black Series product is fully movie accurate. The Hasbro team not only scanned the original prop at the Lucasfilm archives to ensure every measurement is precise, but also matched every single color on the helmet, including the scuffing and scratching as well as the primary hues. The panelists remarked that this Fett helmet has more colors than any Star Wars product Hasbro has ever done before.
The panelists also shared a number of slides showing the production process behind the massive diorama constructed for the Hasbro booth on the SDCC convention floor. Featuring Jabba’s Palace, the diorama included numerous characters in their six-inch Black Series form, as well as a custom-built Rancor in the correct scale. In addition, the diorama was designed to be updated each day, with the action advancing further in the story of Return of the Jedi as the convention progressed. While the diorama is not something fans could purchase, and most could not hope to attempt to replicate themselves, the effort put into the display for a five-day convention certainly indicates the level of fandom passion and dedication on the Hasbro Star Wars team.
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