Programming at Fan Expo Canada 2018 included a panel about Star Wars action figures, featuring Sam Smith and Steven Gilbert from Hasbro, as well as Canadian rep Andrea DeMacio. The event was headlined by the announcement of a Dryden Vos with thermochromatic scars and blades, and a repackaged Captain Phasma (view the official images here).
Upon entry, attendees were given a full sized poster for Solo, and a Micro Force blindbag. That was followed by a short entry by members of the 501st, and a giveaway of some of the exclusives on sale at the event, the team did an overview of upcoming action figures. They credit photo real printing for “the most realistic, Carrie Fisher Princess Leia facial expressions that we’ve had,” noting that the character for once has a concerned look.
Given the price inflation for older figures, Hasbro is introducing a Star Wars The Black Series Archives line, featuring four characters per season. Figures will remain the same, but get new photo real faces and deco advancements. Starting with a Leia Boushh figure in 2019, “where justified”, new figures will receive photo real heads.
They elaborated on this in the Q & A, when someone asked for an Emperor that could sit down. Soft goods weren’t on their radar for re-releases, as it would require retooling, so that sort of figure would be in another line.
At San Diego Comic Con, Hasbro revealed a Stormtrooper with a weathered look. After collector consternation, they’ve now revised the Vintage Collection 2019 Wave 2 figure to have a high-gloss finish. The helmet modeling remains more symmetrical than on past figures.
Figures go to the 3D print shop in 40 to 110 pieces on average, after the 3D scans are modified in Z Brush to allow for material tolerances. The computer models are actually more detailed than the figures, as they consider the inflations that will happen on the figure. The prints are 104% of the size of the actual products, adjusting for material shrinkage.
Next up were new reveals, including a figure of Dryden Vos. His face will have thermochromatic paint, which will allow for the effect of his scars moving around. His blades will also redden with temperature change. Also shown was a Captain Phasma with new packaging.
The audio fired dozens of questions at the front, to wrap up the session. Asked whether they have plans for a tie-in with the Galaxy’s Edge park, they coyly replied “not that we can talk about,” to the rooms’ laughter.
Asked about a Transformers/Star Wars crossover, “not at the moment,” but given that lots of the team are fans, “we hope to have news at some point.”
General Organa is “possibly” on the radar for alternate outfits, but cautioned that the number of new characters in the universe made that sort of release less likely. “There’s certainly time.”
They “haven’t stopped considering” wired soft material like capes, but noted that the process makes things thicker and more expensive.
They noted that they were “sad to see Micro Machines go”, but had nothing that they could share at the panel. They agreed that the sets created by companies like Space Balls are great, but repeated the “nothing we can share” phrase for whether backdrops are being considered.
Hasbro followed the first panel with one on Marvel figures, in the same room. That panel featured a reveal of a few Alpha Force figures, Marvel’s decades-old Canadian team of mutants.
