Review: 76344 Iron Man Mark 3 Collectors' Edition

Brick-built characters have become an essential part of numerous LEGO themes lately, although while Star Wars and Harry Potter have offered various detailed statues for display, Marvel has prioritised action figures. Iron Man seems like a superb candidate for a statue, however.

76344 Iron Man Mark 3 Collectors' Edition aims to realise the potential for a display-oriented model and looks extremely successful in official images, replicating the overall proportions and intricate details of the Mark III armour. There is an exclusive minifigure included too, complete with printed arms.

Minifigure

Iron Man MK3 has appeared a couple of times before, but this minifigure is almost completely new. The torso and legs have only been marginally changed, although both are highly detailed, while the decorated arms are a new addition and these have been rare on Iron Man minifigures until 2026, as the figure in 76343 Epic Battle: Hulkbuster vs. the Hulk features printed arms as well.

A new double-sided head also debuts in this set, finally serving as an alternative to the design used extremely frequently since 2018. The previous head with a determined expression and a heads-up display on one side was arguably more versatile, but I like the glasses printed on this head too, even if it is not really useable with the helmet.

The Completed Model

I think the Mark III armour was an excellent choice for this model, as its chunky limbs and fairly distinct sections afford more options to the designer than Tony's sleeker suits, created after this one. The proportions of the figure are realistic and the colours are attractive, with clearly defined areas of metallic gold complementing the dark red elements.

The back of the model is equally detailed and it measures 38cm in height, which is exactly the same as 75398 C-3PO. This is a manageable size on display, though it still has presence. The figure's neutral stance looks rather unnatural though, as the elbows are fixed at different angles. This is easily modified by replacing an angled Technic connector, but that second connector is not included.

As normal for these large-scale characters, the legs are fixed in position, while the upper body includes several points of articulation. However, the joints are really designed to allow only two or three main poses, as Iron Man lifts his palm repulsors in different ways. This is probably how people would display the figure regardless of its articulation, but I still hoped for a little more.

The head tends to prove problematic on brick-built renditions of Iron Man, including the recent 76327 Iron Man MK4 Bust. Nevertheless, this attempt looks better than most, as the faceplate shape is effective and the eyes are probably as accurate as can be, short of using a decorated element created specifically for the purpose.

The dark tan plates on each side are awkward, though they blend with the metallic gold from a distance and this compromise was necessary because LEGO designers cannot build on top of drum-lacquered pieces, which are vulnerable to scratches. I cannot see a way to swap the dark tan 1x3 plates for metallic gold parts, unfortunately.

Printed 2x2 round tiles comprise the auditory sensors and look great. The back of the helmet is rather lacking in detail though, while the neck articulation is underwhelming. The head can face to either side and move back and forward to some extent, although not really enough to look up or down properly.

While the back of the head is perhaps underwhelming, the back of the shoulders and the torso looks fantastic. I love how varied slopes and wedge slopes meet in this area, with only minimal gaps between them. Even those little gaps resemble seams on the original armour and air flaps are included as well, opening to reveal mechanical texture underneath.

The view from the front is impressive too. Once again, slopes and tiles are neatly arranged to match the source material as faithfully as possible, recreating the armour's segmented panels and using a textured 3x4 piece to excellent effect on the lower body. The gaps for the shoulder joints are visible from certain angles, admittedly, but unavoidably so.

Appropriately, the arc reactor is the final piece to be inserted, slotting into a 2x2 hole ringed by curved tiles. While it is a shame you cannot actually illuminate the arc reactor with a light brick, the metallic blue decoration resembles the device's glow from the movie.

The lack of elbow articulation, but probably worthwhile because the arms look marvellous! The biceps are perfectly sculpted and make superb use of ingots to capture ridges from the armour onscreen. The forearms and hands are also smooth and I find the latter particularly exceptional, as hands tend to be another troublesome feature of brick-built characters.

Wrist articulation was understandably a priority, given the need for poses with the palms facing outward. Simple clips afford a good range of motion and the hands can rotate as well, so pretty much any repulsor pose is possible. The fingers and thumbs are also poseable, but their motion is more limited, so you cannot create a closed fist, for example.

2x2 round tiles look splendid as the palm repulsors, adorned with the same metallic blue finish as the arc reactor. Furthermore, I am pleased with how smoothly the wrist and finger joints are integrated, so the hands look completely finished from all sides.

The hips incorporate a couple more printed tiles, again adding details too complex to be brick-built at this scale. The shaping around these 3x3 round tiles is maybe more interesting though, as 2x4 windscreen elements wrap over the top, while the change from dark red to metallic gold disguises connection points between the hips and the legs.

I absolutely love the 1x1 quarter circle tiles on the knees, fitting snugly between a wedge plate and curved wedge slope. Furthermore, the dark red 1x1 round plates with hollow studs appear accurate, representing servos. The shape of the calves is effective too, curving exactly like they should.

Slight gaps are visible on the sides of the ankles, but the curved slopes connected above flare out to cover these gaps. The shaping is again accurate and I understand excluding the armour that should continue down the sides, which is very thin onscreen. Any attempt to recreate those panels would doubtless look too bulky.

Other than the printed plaque, the base is very plain, which was probably a sensible choice to draw attention to the figure itself. However, I am surprised the designer did not aim to recreate the darker flooring where Tony first dons the Mark III armour, aided by mechanical arms.

Overall

LEGO statues have greatly improved over time and 76344 Iron Man Mark 3 Collectors' Edition continues their advance! The sculpting of the armour is truly extraordinary and I think Iron Man serves as a proof of concept for nearly any armoured character translating to this format. A fully armoured Thanos could be interesting, for instance.

The head is probably the weakest section, although I see no real opportunity for improvement without new elements. Moreover, the articulation is relatively limited, but the essential repulsor poses look fantastic. The price of £119.99, $129.99 or €129.99 feels a bit expensive, but this is still a worthy addition to any Marvel display and comes highly recommended.

76344 Iron Man Mark 3 Collectors' Edition will be released on January 1st and is available for pre-order on LEGO.com.

5 comments on this article

By Blondie_Wan in United States, 23 Nov 2025 15:29

I have to say it is a beautiful rendition of the character.

By Laminated in United Kingdom, 23 Nov 2025 15:30

I'm just in awe of how well the shaping has been done on this. It's like the designer has sculpted it.

By yellowcastle in United States, 23 Nov 2025 15:59

Thank you @CapnRex101 - I like this. A lot. The sculpting is fantastic.

But I do bemoan their sacrificing “poseability” for rigid display.

IMO, this review would have been more impactful after the long awaited review of a similar K2SO. Perhaps you can include a comparison pic of Iron Man into that review? I would also love some more clarifications on the mod possibilities to potentionally improve “poseability”.

By oukexergon in United States, 23 Nov 2025 16:03

Very nice. I think the designer did a fantastic job here.

By BabuBrick in United States, 23 Nov 2025 16:21

I really like this set. The final design looks fantastic, and there’s just enough articulation to accomplish a number of cool poses.

I love the new minifigure. It’s probably one of my favorite Iron Man minifigs of all time. Obviously the printed arms are a major draw, but I’m also really glad that they finally gave him a new head print; it looks great!