New York Toy Fair kicks off tomorrow, and while there will be plenty of news being made this weekend, we’ve already had some bombshells drop. We now know who will be taking over the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles License once Playmates finishes out the year. We also learned of a couple of movie tie-ins from Hasbro, and McFarlane Toys acquired one of my favourite stylized figure lines, not named Funko. Here’s a roundup of the recent announcements and how I think they will impact collectors.
Mattel gets the Turtles
Beginning in 2027, action figures, playsets and accessories, vehicles, games, collectibles, role play and more are set to roll out across retailers. Through the agreement, Mattel will also produce new product lines for the animated movie sequel Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem 2 for 2027, and a new untitled Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles live-action/CG animation hybrid in 2028.
The news that Playmates would no longer hold the TMNT license beyond 2026 was bittersweet. For 38 years, Playmates gave us every possible variation on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Some great. Some not so great. All 100% Playmates charm. Now it will be up to the home of He-Man and Barbie to give us their take on the Turtles. Mattel just had a pretty fun line of Masters of the Universe X Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles figures. It’s hard to believe they won’t go back to that same MOTU Origins style for a full line of Turtles figures. I could also see them going a Masterverse style line where they could have offshoots of the various comic lines: Mirage, Archie, IDW, and all the various cartoon variations. Mattel would be foolish not to follow the MOTU blueprint for the first few years. Fans will be eager to get their hands on a new line of Turtles, and it’s hard to imagine Mattel will fumble the bag. If you play the hits for Turtles fans, everyone goes home happy.
Hasbro Announces Movie Tie-Ins
Hasbro, a leading games, IP and toy company, today announced a new licensing partnership with Legendary Entertainment timed to the highly anticipated live-action Street Fighter movie arriving in theaters October 16, 2026. The collaboration will bring the film’s iconic characters to life through a line of action figures, toys, and collectibles, extending the experience from the big screen into the hands of fans worldwide.
The Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, Jason Mamoa, David Dastmalchian, and 50 Cent magnum opus Street Fighter will now have its own line of figures from Hasbro. Fans of the Raul Julia Street Fighter movie may recall that Hasbro brought Street Fighter into the G.I. Joe line. No word on whether these new Street Fighter figures will have crossover potential with the current G.I. Joe Classified line, but it feels like that would be a layup. Bring me an Orville Peck Vega!
Hasbro aims to bring their vast experience working on legacy franchises to the legendary world of Voltron with products and merchandise inspired by the highly anticipated live-action Voltron movie.
If you’d prefer a team of robotic lions defending the universe from Sterling K Brown’s Zarkon, Hasbro has you covered there as well. There isn’t much known about the live-action Voltron movie, but we know we’re getting toys. I’ll be eager to see how faithful the live-action Voltron is compared to the ’80s classic, but I’m always in the market for giant robots.
McFarlane Toys acquires QFigs
McFarlane Toys, a leader in the global collectibles industry, proudly announces the acquisition of the QMxbrand, bringing the fan-favourite Q-Figcollectibles into its portfolio this year. This strategic expansion strengthens McFarlane Toys’ presence in the stylized collectibles category and reinforces its commitment to delivering imaginative, display-driven products for fans and collectors worldwide.
The relaunch will spotlight major brands including DC, Marvel, and Spawn, with more properties to be revealed.
Rounding out the news this week is McFarlane picking up one of my favourite stylized figure lines: QFigs. QMx made the QFigs popular pack in Loot Crates. In turn, they became one of my favourite lines to pick up on the cheap. To call them figures is a complete misnomer. They’re statues in an animated style, usually no bigger than 3-4 inches. Each character is displayed on a small base, usually in a pose that brings a bit of charm to the character. If you don’t smile when you look at a QFig, you’re a little broken inside. To hear that McFarlane is going to continue to release QFigs is great news. Todd knows statues and non-articulated figures better than anyone. If he can get these out to the masses, I can continue to add to my collection at a reasonable price. I’d love to get a Captain America, and there was an Aquaman and Cthulhu that looked fantastic. Can’t wait to see where this relationship goes!
