Review of Collectible Merchandise
The summer blockbuster is fast approaching and fans can finally get their hands on the latest big-screen iteration of THE FLASH as McFarlane Toys kicks into gear with their first wave of action figures based on the movie including the Scarlet Speedster himself!
This summer worlds collide! The most anticipated release without a doubt, DC Studio’s The Flash starring Ezra Miller is finally hitting theaters on June 16, and the latest trailers alone have generated enough interest in the movie that fans are expecting this film to be a game changer! Early word is that The Flash will satisfy fan expectations, featuring the return of many familiar faces, including Michael Keaton reprising his role as the Caped Crusader from the much beloved Tim Burton 1989 blockbuster Batman. Everyone is waiting with baiting breath to get their first look at the heroes in action.
McFarlane Toys has procured the license for high-end collectible toys and action figures based on characters from across the DC Multiverse and has released ahead of the movie’s theatrical launch its first wave of 7” well-detailed and super-articulated figures based on the main cast. This wave includes Batman, Supergirl, and The Flash in his new movie-accurate look, which is a major departure from the character’s previous appearances. The Flash action figure measures approximately 7” and has over 20 points of articulation, in line with the rest of the series offerings in the McFarlane Toys DC Multiverse. The blister art packaging features an original design and sports the movie logo!
The figures in the current wave are all similarly priced averaging between $19.99 and $24.99 and available on online retailers as well as most major department stores, but you’re likely to find many of the rarer figures at comic book specialty stores, like Midtown Comics in the heart of NYC, Manhattan.
After having relegated Miller’s Scarlet Speedster to a DIY suit of heat-resistant body armor and plating for his Justice League appearance, the hero gets a full overhaul for his solo feature, courtesy of his mentor and benefactor, Bruce Wayne with Ben Affleck reprising his role as Batman for The Flash. Whether the film will elaborate on the origins of the suit is unclear, but the trailer does give us a glimpse of Barry’s Flash Ring miraculously articulating, and as comic readers know, the Flash’s suit has traditionally been hidden in his one-of-a-kind signet ring.
Figures In the Line
The action figure gives us a startling view of Ezra Miller’s new suit as it will appear in The Flash. Its streamlined high-tech look is suited for the widescreen adventure and it will undoubtedly spark to life given that many of the details appear to be charged with speed force energy that gives this suit its otherworldly glow. The lines are strikingly similar to the suit currently worn by Grant Gustin who has portrayed Barry Allen in The CW series The Flash which is now in its ninth and final season, and rumors have surfaced that Grant will be making a cameo appearance on the big screen, as Miller’s Flash traverses the multiverse, a claim which has been largely rebuked by the primetime actor.
Still, their Flashes appear to both inhabit the same multiverse, with the figure based on the movie version bearing very similar color details in red and gold. Perhaps audiences have grown far more accustomed to the primetime version of the hero, which is also available as an action figure from McFarlane Toys based on his appearance in the television series’s sixth season, but the greatest difference among them is the texture applied to the surface of the suits. The movie’s suit does feature some oddly raised segmented arrow-shaped bands around the waistline and on the tops of the figure’s boots, which might suggest the direction the suit takes as it reveals from the ring.
Collectors will certainly appreciate adding this version of the Fastest Man Alive to their collection, but make haste! These figures have a tendency to become true collector’s items and are harder to find especially after the initial wave is released. After the film arrives in theaters you can bet that you’ll likely have to traverse the multiverse to find one of your own. In the meantime, get in the fast lane and snag one of these before the flashpoint reboots everything!
THE FLASH | McFarlane Toys DC Multiverse Action Figure | $19.99 | is available from most online retailers and can be purchased here at Entertainment Earth and is also available on Amazon. Check out the McFarlane Toys site here for more exciting merchandise from The Flash movie coming to theaters June 16, 2023.
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