Unboxing: The Mighty Thor Deluxe Figure

 With the new Marvel film, Thor: Love and Thunder, comes a plethora of new merchandise for fans of the the God of Thunder. The film introduces The Mighty Thor, as played by Natalie Portman. In the film, Thor’s ex-love Jane Foster acquires Mjolnir to become The Mighty Thor. For collectors, that means new figures of the mighty Marvel hero!

 We got a hold of the Mighty Thor 6” deluxe figure from Hasbro. For fans of Hasbro’s action figures we learned last year, in a move to be more eco-conscious, they’d be moving away from using plastic in their packaging. We saw it started last year with the Target exclusive Spider-Man 9-figure packs that had no plastic on the box. This year, they’re starting the same with their Marvel Legends line and deluxe lines.

 That means, unfortunately, that collectors will not be able to see the figure that they are purchasing. We know that sometimes paint and other issues with figures make it past quality control. So there’s a possibility that out of box collectors could get a figure with a wonky eye or some other issue. Another potential issue could be what is known as figure swapping. This is when an unscrupulous collector will purchase a figure and swap it out for a different figure and return it to a brick and mortar store.

 This is the first deluxe line that comes without plastic. We were a little trepidatious about picking up a figure that we couldn’t see. But we figured it’s not any different from ordering online, really. If there were any issues, we could simply exchange it in store. That being said, the box that the figure comes in is bold and bright, which is keeping with the theme of the movie. 

 Upon opening the box, you'll find that the figure comes simply wrapped in plain white tissue. The figure itself is a pretty decent sculpt. I really wasn’t expecting it to look as good as it does. They land squarely in between the basic figure line and the Legends line; not horrible, not the greatest. The figure doesn't have much in the way of articulation: the arms move up and down, the head moves side to side, and the legs can be squeezed together for the hammer spinning action. The hammer spinning action looks cheesy and is not very exciting, adding very little value to the figure overall. Despite that, it's pretty solid looking for a mid-tier figure.

 Along with plastic free packaging, the other big change this year was the price point on Hasbro’s figures. The MSRP on their deluxe figures was $12.99 not too long ago. They crept up to $14.99 with the Spider-Man: No Way Home deluxe figures. They’re now at the $15.99 price point with the Love and Thunder line. Is this price worth it? I'd say no, considering McFarlane's standard DC figures will run you $19.99. They're bigger, better sculpted, and have a lot more articulation. 

With the deluxe line going up in price, this means that the Legends line has crept up also. They now retail for $24.99-$27.99. As nice as they are, with prices going up, it's getting harder to justify collecting whole lines. There is also a Valkyrie and a Thor figure in the deluxe line and with the rise in price, I'd rather purchase something from the Legends line before picking up those two to complete the set.