Felkin

Speaking of reusing new parts, I noticed that the powerlifting arm on the new CMF M-Tron space figure looks rather familiar, and I'm wondering how long before we see it recoloured for Doc Ock's tentacle arms! Do CMF molds still become available to produce mainline sets after a while?

The Fantastic Four: Baxter Building Cosmic Lab Mr. Fantastic (Ms. Marvel / Elasti-Girl arms), Invisible Woman (semi-transparent minifig), H.E.R.B.I.E. (brick-built) Small starter set with an art-deco sixties computer console for Reed, and a scanning booth for Sue where her powers are being tested. The Fantastic Four: Silver Surfer Skirmish Human Torch (flame on, power blast flames), Invisible Woman (visible, transparent shield pieces), Silver Surfer Fantasti-Car vehicle (with flick-fire weapons; it IS Lego, after all), Silver Surfer's surfboard, New York street corner (news stand announces "Astronauts Caught in Cosmic Storm!") The Fantastic Four: The Coming of Galactus! Mr. Fantastic (with Ultimate Nullifer weapon), the Thing (bigfig), Human Torch (flame off variant) Brick-built Galactus main build (ala Arishem in Eternals), Fantastic Four rocket sidebuild X-Men: Wolverine X-Force Mission Wolverine, Cable, Deadpool, Cassandra Nova Wild Sentinel main build (serves as a vehicle for Cassandra Nova), and a small helicopter for X-Force There's no way in heck that Lego will make a Deadpool set... but they might make an X-Men Wolverine set with some familiar faces!

The Leaky Cauldron is as much a hotel as it is a pub, as seen in the Prisoner of Azkaban. If Lego wanted to, they could focus on the inn side of the business, such as Harry's rented room (where he gets attacked by the Monster Book of Monsters in the movie) and the parlour room (where Harry meets Cornelius Fudge and the hunchbacked Tom). Add the magical brick wall entrance to Diagon Alley, and you've got yourself an accurate HP set without any unwelcome alcohol references. Given that we've already had the Three Broomsticks pub, I have to imagine that Lego are saving the Leaky Cauldron for a future D2C, rather than being unwilling to make it at all.

Depends if this year's stuff sells. I would hope so; having BTAS sets would be a good way to release Batman toys in the year(s) before the new 'Brave and the Bold' Batman movie.

The new bigfig design used for Thanos a few years ago might work for the troll. The arms can hold a club and a minifig to match the movie scene, the body's about the right size and can be printed for the tattered outfit, and maybe even a custom head or bald-headpiece with attached ears for the King Charles-esque lugs, although I'm not holding out too much hope for that last one.

Here's hoping the new season next year is as popular as we all hope, and that the BBC's partnership with Disney means that merchandising options such as Lego sets are on the horizon! Disney isn't shy about cashing in with merchandise, they'll want to make back the money they've invested, so I have to hope that more DW Lego is on the way! (Probably in 2025, once they're sure the new series is popular worldwide, and to tie-in with Ncuti Gatwa's second season which is currently filming for a suggested spring 2025 release.)

Doctor Who... is back! I won't spoil anything, but it's as mad and fun as ever! I don't know how well it will resonate with more casual viewers; the new specials being a sequel to a fifteen-year-old story might be confusing to many, but I really hope this revival reignites interest in the franchise... and obviously results in more Lego Doctor Who! When fans create wish-lists of hypothetical DW CMFs, expect the Meep to feature prominently!

A 4+ Lego set with Lex stealing forty cakes would be hilarious!

The Daily Prophet photographer in the D2C Diagon Alley had a unique head which looks way more like Karkaroff than the actual character it's supposed to portray, suggesting that a set featuring Karkaroff entered production but was later cancelled. We don't know what the set could have been (or if he was originally meant to be in another set, such as the Beauxbatons Carriage), but it seems that Lego backed out of putting him in a set, probably because he wasn't seen as a big enough draw to customers to justify the extra printing costs. His appearance is always possible in the future, but it doesn't seem to be a priority for Lego. If you want to make a custom Karkaroff minifig the Daily Prophet photographer's head is a good place to start.

Fair enough, I just thought WB might push for new HP merchandise as soon as possible, to try and capitalise on the inevitable publicity. The Fantastic Beasts series underperformed (i.e. didn't make them nearly enough money), and WB must be desperate to resume printing money like the heyday of the Potter brand. It's not like Disney's shows where they don't want a Lego set to reveal spoilers months in advance; having a minifigure of Quirrell with Voldemort on the back of his head isn't a spoiler (for example), so they can put out accurate merchanise more easily.

I think the current modular system is finished due to the new reboot TV series in development. It's probably coming out in 2025/26, and any Lego sets from that point on will probably feature the new actors' likenesses, so 2024 is the last guarenteed year to have sets based on the 2001-2011 movies. Since the Hogwarts "complete model" is now finished and Lego sets are typically on shelves for several years I suspect 2024 will see no new modular parts of Hogwarts (not counting non-modular sets such as Hagrid's Hut), so that people can complete their own Hogwarts before Lego retires those sets and starting afresh with a new style in 2025 (or in 2026 after two years of no modular sets, depending when the show premieres). Lego won't want to start a new modular theme in 2024 if it's interrupted half-way through by the new TV show, but they can't be sure when exactly it will premiere, so I think a year or two of sets to compliment the current range is most likely.

The last time Lego DC had a "gap year"was in 2015 when Batman v Superman got pushed back, and we got the awesome comic-based Justice League wave to fill the gap. I don't know if I trust Lego to give us something so good again, but the leaked survey had a Batman:TAS set, so clearly it's a subject they've considered revisiting. After missing the old TAS-inspired Batman sets 15 years ago in my dark ages, I've love to get an updated take on them next year.

If they ever make Scarface, they will probably use the recent baby piece. Admittedly they'd need a new tiny gangster hat for the baby-sized head (or a one-off head & hat part), and Scarface wouldn't be able to hold his usual tommy gun, but he's always got his "dummy" (the Ventriloquist) to hold things like that in his free hand. The new Dreamzzz torso would instead be pretty good for the Green Lanterns' bosses, the Guardians of the Universe (no, not the MCU bunch of A-holes). Hopefully we might get a Lego set based on the upcoming "Lanterns" TV series in a few years, so long as it's not too adult-oriented.

I think Lego Doctor Who would work best as a series of historical sets similar to the old Time Cruisers theme; the "mad scientist" character with their crazy time machine, and each set a different time period with weird monsters. Madame de Pompadour's 18th century French court invaded by clockwork robots. Charles Dickens' 19th century Britain overrun by gas ghosts. 1969 Area 51 and the Silence. It's a concept that needs very little explanation for people unfamiliar with Doctor Who, since the 60 years of backstory can be rather off-putting to people, and allows Lego to reuse plenty of existing parts. I'd normally say this would never happen, but since Disney is investing in Doctor Who, I'm sure they'll be looking at various merchandising ideas to recoup their money! Here's hoping the return of Russell T Davies sees a return to form and popularity for the franchise.

Since 2025 will probably have a big marketing push with the new DCU, I'm hoping 2024 will be an opportunity for more callback sets. 1966 TV series, Keaton-verse, and maybe even the Animated Series (the recent survey leaks prove that it's at least being considered). Think of the 2015 Justice League sets which were made to plug a hole after Batman v Superman was delayed a year. Lego will want something on shelves to keep the DC Superheroes brand alive (if only to keep the licence so they can profit if/when the DCU is a huge hit). 2024 will be their last chance in a while to focus on non-DCU sets, so if they want to make B:TAS set(s), it's gonna be next year or never. (Okay, I'd love a whole DCAU / Justice League Unlimited range of sets, but let's be realistic, it's gonna be JUST Batman.)

As if Lego has ever let such inaccuracies stop them from re-using a mold before! It's too big for freshly-hatched Norbert, but maybe in a few years when they make sets of the upcoming TV show they will use it for a larger Norbert in an Astronomy tower set.

Some people here have been saying that this theme will end soon because pretty much every character / location has been done. If nothing else, a new show in a few years will bring new designs which will (hopefully) look awesome on screen and as Lego sets. Look at the various illustrated versions of HP and how different they are to the movie-verse, and I'm excited to see how they bring the books to life this time... hopefully with a lot less omissions.

The black and red "Dikto" suit was in a 4+ set 76184 with Mysterio and Fury, and polybag 30443 with the drones from the Tower Bridge battle. It's not been in a "regular" Marvel set, which is maybe why you missed it. Now if only they'd make a polybag or something with the suit from the end of No Way Home!

I know the previous Simpsons line didn't sell well, but I can't help but think the problem was the price point and the lack of availability. CMFs and D2Cs are less available / less visible to consumers than "regular" sets. Not everyone could afford the Simpsons house, and it wasn't sold by many retailers anyway. And for those adult collectors who COULD afford it, it was highly inaccurate, which doesn't justify the price. And blind bags are more for kids swapping in a playground, not an adult fan wanting to buy a piece of nostalgia. I'd love the theme to return with more accessible sets, both to broaden availability and to spread out the costs of new molds. Ideally, the characters would use standard minifig heads with new hair pieces, so they could have different expressions to help tell stories... not unlike their Lego-fied appearance in the tie-in Simpsons episode at the time. Get some iconic vehicles and locations, maybe some dioramas with quotes from some of the more memed episodes (TLG loves memes), and you've got yourself a best-seller... in my head, anyway.

So... is it too early to speculate about what exclusive HP minifigure will come with pre-orders of the game?!

Huh. I never realised that was a young Molina! What is it with him and spiders and legs on his back? That's a weird acting niche! Just so long as the NWH Doc Ock minifig doesn't reuse that Indy head, the youthful terrified face doesn't really work for him.

The holographic insert is pretty thin (about 1 millimetre I'd guess) but still too thick to fit between Lego bricks. In the sets it is held in place against the rear wall by four tap pieces used as clips, and gravity. If you're MOCing them into a modular-design, you'll probably need a stud's width of space for the insert and whatever you use to hold the insert in place. Honestly, I love the Ravenclaw banner I've got; it's neat and attractive but far less fidley to re-assemble / store than the earlier Moments books. Not sure how they could do more banners next year, unless maybe they do Quidditch teams?

Shrek has a major advantage: nostalgia. It's over twenty years since the first film, and many people who grew up with the films (especially the first two...) are now adults with disposable income. Given that Universal will no doubt want to capitalise on said nostalgia to help drive box office with Puss in Boots and any future Shrek projects, and a large Shrek D2C such as Shrek's swamp home makes a lot of sense.

Robbie Coltrane put it best himself: “The legacy of the movies is that my children’s generation will show them to their children. You can be watching it in 50 years time, easy. I’ll not be here, sadly. But Hagrid will, yes.” Robbie may have passed on, but we'll always have Hagrid... be it in the books, in the movies, or as his Lego maxifigure looking over our plastic Hogwarts and its students!

They probably hadn't finished the proper renders yet; this set wasn't supposed to be revealed for a few days. Hopefully they'll update the official site, those renders are terrible... although it makes you realise how good they usually are!