Randy here - and welcome 2023!
A new year of toys ahead of us and I have a LOT that I of figures on my wish list. BUT that never stops me from coming up with my personal Wish List. 2023 will not be any different
But before I go into my Wishes for 2023, let us look back at...
THE WISH LIST ITEMS THAT CAME OUT in 2022!
DARK TROOPER Wish List 2021
Beast Mode” BOBA FETT (Tython) Wish List 2021
AXE WOVES (with removable helmet) Wish List 2021 PRINCESS LEIA (Marvel limited comic series) Wish List 2020 & 2022
DARTH VADER (Ralph McQuarrie Series) Wish List 2020
DR. SAM LOOMIS (Halloween II ’81) Wish List 2022
RETRO SNAKE EYES Wish List 2021
A.J. MACREADY (The Thing '82) Wish List 2020
ZARANA Wish List 2021
These were SORTA fulfilled... OLD MAN LOGAN & X-23 (LOGAN Movie) Wish List 2020
A pretty good run, if I do say so myselft! The STAR WARS ones are holdovers and mostly expected., but I'm really surprised at both the Marvel Leia and McQuarrie Darth Vader made it out so soon. VERY happy about the MacReeady and Loomis figures coming out as well! SO GOOD! I had forgotten to mention the "Old Man" Logan from Logan, likely since I had it as part of a two pack .
You can check out my previous "Wish Lists": 2020 Part 1
Now I bring you...
Randy's List of "Toys That MUST Be Made" in 2023!
STAR WARS BLACK (Hasbro)
Between the 40th Anniversary of Return of the Jedi this year (my bones-THEY ACHE!), Season 2 of "The Bad Batch", Season 3 of "The Mandalorian" as well as up-coming Disney+ shows "The Acolyte" and "Ahsoka"! (YEEESSS!!!), there' like to be PLENTY of new figures... in late 2023 and 2024! This list is looking back at the past year... as well as a little sideways!
KX ENFORCER DROID ("Chapter 5, The Return of the Mandalorian", THE BOOK OF BOBA FETT)
PROBE DROID ("Chapter 5, The Return of the Mandalorian", THE BOOK OF BOBA FETT
COBB VANTH ("Chapter 6, From the Desert Comes a Stranger", THE BOOK OF BOBA FETT)
Regardless of my thoughts on THE BOOK OF BOBA FETT iniital season, the nightmarish flashback sequence showing the "Night of A Thousand Tears" on Mandalore was a high-point, niightmarishi amazing and shocking. Especially the image above, which gave off serious T-800 Endoskeletons of the Future War from The Terminator. to me. This seems like an EASY decision by Hasbro to bring'em back since these already have made the Probe Droid and K-2S0. All it would need is some new paint ops and weapons for KX (E-22 Blaster Rifle and BlasTech SE-14R Light Repeating Blaster). C'mon, Hasbro -Mando's gotta fight someone! Cobb Vanth was on my list of Top 5 Figures for 2022 and one of the best likenesses that's been done, and I'd like to see more of him. And now that you've already tooled 90% of the figure Hasbro, you could release the non-armored Cobb as part of the BoBF line. And release Cobb as a STARDARD figure, and not a "deluxe" figure with the "Boba Fett Tax". There's no justification for that inflated price. Besides, we need another Timothy Olyphant figure to make a custom Raylan Givens figure from!
SLAVE/HUTT-SLAYER LEIA (Return of the Jedi)
OOLA THE DANCER (Return of the Jedi)
CAPTAIN REX-ENDOR REBEL SOLDIER/IN BIKER SCOUT DISGUISE (Return of the Jedi)
STARKILLER/GALEN MAREK (“Force Unleashed” videogame)
Call her "Slave Leia, call her "Hutt-Slayer Leia", but dammit Hasbro MAKE this figure! Or more appropriately- MAKE THIS FIGURE AGAIN! This is an iconic version of Leia, one that shows in legions at conventions. It's the 40th anniversary of ROTJ AND the 10th Anniversary of Star Wars Black series, so the timing is perfect. Make it an online or Hasbro Pule exclusive. But, just do it! Now that an Aayla Secura figure has arrived in the Black series and, again, 40th Anniversary ROTJ, we need to have the ORIGINAL Twi'lek, Oola the Dancer. Played by Femi Taylor, Oola stood out in a room full of aliens! In a great coincidence, Hasbro is celebrating the 40th of ROTJ as well as the 20th Anniversary of "The Clone Wars". I bring you Captain Rex in Imperial Biker Scout Trooper disguise. And who DOESN'T dig Captian Rex? A retcon done several years ago by Lucasfilm, Captain Rex NOW fights be the side of Han and Leia as a Endor Rebel soldier. Plus, you can also get him for later int he movie, when he donned the uniforms of a Imperial Biker Scout. Two great figures! Yeah, there have been rumors that Starkiller is coming this year. But I'll take advantage of the fact that I brought it up back in 2020! And I think I'd like to see both versions of him.
Tatooine Escape LUKE SKYWALKER (Return of the Jedi Cut Scene)
Tatooine Escape HAN SOLO (Return of the Jedi Cut Scene)
Tatooine Escape PRINCESS LEIA (Return of the Jedi Cut Scene)
Tatooine Escape LANDO CALRISSIAN (Return of the Jedi Cut Scene)
Tatooine Escape CHEWBACCA (Return of the Jedi Cut Scene)
It's the 40th anniversary, so you KNOW Hasbro is not only looking for figures to be produced for their Anniversary line, but also figures for exclusives. Well, have I got a BUNCH for you, Hasbro! You get to mix-and-match old parts and new, and make versions never made before, for one of the most infamous cut scenes. Plus-you can never go wrong with the core group as action figures!
DARTH VADER-Battle Damaged ("Obi-Wan Kenobi")
LEIA ORGANA ("Obi-Wan Kenobi")
R5-D4 (New Sculpt)
Mamow Nadon ("Hammerhead")
YES, we have had a lot of Darth Vader figures. YES, we got a Vader in the "Obi-Wan Kenobi" line. BUT what I really want is a battle-damaged one from the final fight with Kenobi-because we NEED that helmet with exposed Hayden Christensen face in it! All those versions of Obi-Wan from the show - and NO LEIA?! This is leaving money on the table, Hasbro-just like Grogu. She went through several outfits, reminiscent of her future self, but I like the green one. It's already been announced that an all-new R2-D2 figure will be released this year-FINALLY! And with that body, now I can get a proper version of my favorite droid, R5-D4. I have the GameStop exclusive one from years ago, but I DEFINITELY want a mare accuarte one. We need more ALIENS from Star Wars - ESPECIALLY from the classic trilogy! We've gotten MULITPLE Greedos, several Wookies & Mon Calmari, and even Ponda Baba and Dr. Evizan-but we need more! Mamow Nadow (aka "Hammerhead" is one of the iconic aliens from the Cantina Scene. This feels like the next alien that desrves a figure. And the Cantina is STILL ripe for the taking. More aliens, please and thank you!
KKAATU, BARADA & NIKTO 3 Pack (Return of the Jedi)
JABBA'S SKIFF (Return of the Jedi)
Having recently done the Black Series Retro POTF2 3 pack of Dr. Evizan, Ponda Baba & Ben Kenobi, it seems like an easy choice to do these 3 aliens... ESPECIALLY if Hasbro also releases a Skiff from Jabba's sail barge. Unlike the Snowspeeder, the skiff wouldn't take as much real estate on the shelf, nor need and electronics or sound features. Add to that we'll be getting a captured Chewbacca and a Luke in Jedi outfit and already have (several) Lando in Skiff Guard disguise and Boba Fett, the only person missing would be a captured Han. So just pack him in with the Skiff, Hasbro-problem solved!
Lucasfilm Publishing Line
ASHARAD HETT
ARC LT. ALPHA-17 (Wish List 2020)
AQUATIC ASSAULT CLONE TROOPER
EVAAN VERLAINE
As I've said elsewhere, the Lucasfilm Publishing has turned into the line to get more of outside the box figures, including books and comics. With newer Tusken Raiders figures showing up in 2023, now sounds like a great time to make the Tusken Raider Jedi Knight, A'sharad Hett. While I know we did just get the Tartakovsky ARC Trooper in Red (Fordo?) and hopefully the one in Blue will come out as well. But I'm going for the version from the couple of issues from the Dark Horse comic that got quickly reconned for the animated shorts. Really, I'll take all the ARC troopers I can - especially if we get and in-scale Westar M5 blaster. rifle. I really dug the design for the Aquatic Assault Trooper.... and I want some. Simple as that! Last year brought one of my Wish List items- the Marvel Comics Princess Leia, so why not her partner in that first adventure Evaan Verlaine! Not only would it make a great addition of another woman of the Rebellion, but it wouldn't take too much for Hasbro to produce her. Seeing as she's seen in both a flight suit and a civilian outfit, which both look VERY simlar to previously released Luke figures, this fits perfectly in this line.
Ralph McQuarrie Series
STORMTROOPER w/Lightsaber and Shield (w/alternate helmets)
Bringing this back from the Wish List 2021... ESPEICALLY since a 2-pack of Darth Vader and Obi-Wan from McQuarrie was released as a 2022 Disney Store exclusive! So I'll say it :gain. "But really, I've been waiting TOO DAMN LONG for 6" version of the McQuarrie Stormtroopers and my patience has ENDED!"
And that's where I'll stop for now. I plan on the 2nd part to come out in February. OK - I HOPE it'll be out in February!
Until then,