Marvel Legends Gets Webtacular With Spider-Ned And Noir Spider-Man Action Figures
Monday might have belonged to "Thor: Love and Thunder" thanks to the first teaser trailer drop and the official reveal on the film's tie-in merchandise, but today is all about your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. At least, it's all about his when it comes to toys. In celebration of the web-slinger's 60th anniversary, Hasbro has announced a fresh wave of Marvel Legends figures to commemorate the occasion.
Fearsome foes like Doctor Octopus and Knull, beloved allies such as "Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows" star Spinneret and fellow spider-powered vigilante Silk, and costumes from throughout Spidey's legendary comic run like his first appearance suit and the Iron Spider from "Civil War" are all included in this line, which can be seen in more detail courtesy of ToyArk's coverage of the Hasbro livestream. However, there are two upcoming releases that specifically caught our eye.
Along came a spider
Animation has always been a big part of Spider-Man's history. From the meme-tastic ABC show from 1967 to the acclaimed animated series in the 1990s to the upcoming "Spider-Man: Freshman Year" on Disney+, many generations have come to know the story of Peter Parker through cartoons. But things were taken to the next level in 2018 when Sony Pictures released "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
Inspired by the 2014 comic storyline "Spider-Verse" by Dan Slott, this ground-breaking film brought different versions of Spider-Man from across the multiverse to the big screen. Among them was Spider-Man Noir, a dark and monochromatic Spidey from the 1930s. Voiced by the incomparable Nicolas Cage, Noir fought alongside the other Spider-Heroes to save every universe from peril. And now, you can bring him home with you courtesy of this new Marvel Legends figure.
Hasbro
Plus, as an extra special bonus, he comes with an extra head without his hat, his signature pistol, and John Mulaney's Spider-Ham. That's two Spider-Men for the price of one. Now you can add them to your collection ahead of the upcoming sequel "Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse."
Guy in the chair
For me and likely many other True Believers out there, the absolute highlight of these releases is the proper action figure debut of Jacob Batalon's Ned Leeds from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. (Yes, he already has a Funko Pop, but that doesn't count in this conversation.)
Ned comes in a two-pack with his best friend Peter Parker, as portrayed by Tom Holland. These figures depict how the duo looked as they walked down the halls of the Midtown School of Science and Technology in "Spider-Man: Homecoming." They also come with accessories like a book, backpacks, extra hands for Peter, and extra heads for both of them. But Ned's extra head features him wearing the iconic Spider-Man mask. All this set is missing is a LEGO Death Star, but I'm sure the rights for that accessory might be a little complicated.
Hasbro
Clearly, there's a number of reasons why this Ned Leeds figure is cool. The sculpt is flawless, the accessories are on point, and Ned is a character that many have been clamoring for. But this Ned is a huge win for representation in the toy aisle. Not only are we about to see a Filipino-American person represented as a high quality action figure, but we're also about to see a realistic portrayal of a husky person as a toy. Usually, fat characters are exaggerated for comedic effect or they're slimmed down a bit (which is kinda what happened with the Marvel Legend of the chubby, "Big Lebowski"-esque Thor from "Avengers: Endgame." But here we have Ned essentially as he is onscreen in all his glory.
As I said in my article about feeling seen after watching "Spider-Man: No Way Home," it's so important for an audience to see themselves in their media and in turn, their media-generated merchandise. Whether it's different cultures, different body types, or different multiverses, representation matters and this is a huge step toward acknowledging that fact. I will most certainly be adding this Marvel Legends two-pack to my collection as soon as they go on sale.
All of the figures (apart from Lizard and a select few Doc Ock/Silk two-packs) will go up for preorder at 1 p.m. EST today at most retailers. Individual figures are now up to $27.99, and two-packs are $55.99. Premium figures like Iron Spider and Toad are $33.99, while the large-sized Knull and Venom set runs $77.99.