Is LEGO DC finished?
Posted by CapnRex101,
Spoiler: The answer to the title question is no.
DC sets have been surprisingly scarce during 2022, bringing about inevitable questions and speculation regarding the current status of the theme. Fortunately, we had the opportunity to ask Mark Stafford that question at Fan Media Days recently, alongside Jedi News.
What is the situation with LEGO DC, given there seem to be unusually few new sets at the moment?
At the moment. We are the Super Heroes team and would love to explore Marvel and DC. Personally, I hope we can get to the point of producing as many DC sets as we are Marvel. The reason for the current disparity between them is primarily to do with what children and parents are most familiar with.
A few years ago, there were new Batman cartoons being released and DC was everywhere, so we had the opportunity to produce more sets. Nowadays, DC seems more focused on adults when it comes to things marketed worldwide, which makes it more difficult to develop play sets for a broader audience.
So we can safely say that DC has not been abandoned.
Definitely not and it never will be as long as we have the licence. I think we can see that DC is in the process of restructuring their film slate, so we have to wait and see what happens.
Was any consideration given to developing something to celebrate the tenth anniversary of LEGO Super Heroes, for DC and Marvel?
Well, the designers had a cake! In all seriousness, the time we would have been thinking about that and planning something was a year or two ago, when we were in lockdown. As designers, we were not interacting and brainstorming in the way we normally would, so the anniversary really snuck up on us.
Also, we have to consider whether an anniversary would acknowledge Spider-Man's original appearance in the Studios range, or the 2006 Batman theme. Super Heroes does not have a specific 'birth year' in quite the same way many other themes do.
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87 comments on this article
It's good to hear this confirmed from the designers themselves. I've had this thought for a while, seeing that most of DC's most popular projects recently (such as the Snyder Cut, the standalone Joker movie, and the recent Suicide Squad movie) have been aimed specifically at an adult audience.
I'm a little surprised that TLG didn't do a set for Black Adam. Hopefully things will pick up again now that DC is trying to establish a different plan for their movies.
Let’s kill Lego DC anyway. Never was good never will be.
Why not keep trawling the comics or more Batman '66 or something? They're making it sound like the DCU is the only subject matter they can work with.
I hope Zaslav resurrects something like the Justice League animated series. My daughter really loved Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, even though they’re fairly old. The stories in those series were great.
I hope we can get something like that and not some watered down modern take on current politics, like so much entertainment seems to be focused on.
Focus on timeless hero values and you’ll not only find an audience, but make a fortune doing it.
I'm surprised they didn't do anything for Black Adam.
Some set pieces, and especially new DC figs they could've made.
@8BrickMario said:
"Why not keep trawling the comics or more Batman '66 or something? They're making it sound like the DCU is the only subject matter they can work with."
I'm shocked that there hasn't been a UCS-sized '66 Batmobile yet like the Tumbler and the '89 Batmobile. That has to be in the pipeline.
Pity.
What about Black Adam?
Apparently the Batcycle is going to be released as part of the Technic line next year.
I mean, it's not a terrible point, frankly. As much of a fan as I am of DC's current comics, the better ones tend to aim for a demographic a bit above LEGO's intended age range for traditional playsets, mid-late teens and above. I still think there ought to be some more campy Batman stuff, it has it's place in the ecosystem, make something fun and weird and full of Z-tier villains like Brave and the Bold again, then the LEGO team will have something to work with and we'll get some real fan favorite nobodies. I mean, who wouldn't want a Penny Plunderer Minifigure?
Tired of the COVID excuse he’s been using for everything lately :)
@8BrickMario said:
"Why not keep trawling the comics or more Batman '66 or something? They're making it sound like the DCU is the only subject matter they can work with."
Movies and television series drive public awareness of DC and Marvel, so their success likely determines whether the market will sustain sets originating not only from those sources but also comics and past media.
Fundamentally, we have to assume that the performance of recent DC sets has been notably poor, hence LEGO has decided to focus almost exclusively on Marvel at the moment. However, I think LEGO made a mistake by not producing something to satisfy the existing DC fan base this year. Even one set celebrating Batman: The Animated Series or another popular subject would probably have been enough to stave off the worst of the negativity surrounding LEGO DC, for the time being.
lego should make black adam dcu sets
Whenever we see DC make a comeback, I’ll be looking forward to seeing what ya’ll make!
I'm still holding out for many of Batman's villains, especially those we've seen "renders" for in the Lego cartoon movies or comics, etc. Such as a bigfig Solmon Grundy, Ventriloquist with baby scale Scarface, Mad Hatter (which I know could be a point of contention with Disney, maybe), Black Mask, and I'm sure I'm missing others. Also would love to see more scenery and buildings as opposed to vehicles but I get that we adults may not be the target audience.
Judging by how Zaslav's gutting WB like a fish and the consequences of that, I do seriously wonder if DC under its current owners (let alone WB as a whole) will still exist in a year or so...
"We are the Super Heroes team and would love to explore Marvel and DC"
"Also, we have to consider whether an anniversary would acknowledge Spider-Man's original appearance in the Studios range, or the 2006 Batman theme. Super Heroes does not have a specific 'birth year' in quite the same way many other themes do."
The anniversary answer is such a cop out. They're the Super Heroes team on the Super Heroes theme therefore the birth year is 2012. The 2006 Batman and Studios Spider-Man aren't part of the Super Heroes theme.
A Black Adam set could have given us Doctor Fate another Hawkman, Atom Smasher and Cyclone - and of course Black Adam. Wish LEGO could have tried for that line up. If only for Doctor Fate.
Thanks for making this article. DC is one of my favorite themes, and it's sad to see it go the way it has with lego. If we can't see any new sets in the next couple years, I'd at least like to see a follow-up to the 2020 DC Collectible Minifigures line.
Why not make some more The Dark Knight trilogy sets? The minifigure-scale Tumbler set seems to have been extremely popular, and so are the movies.
@uplift said:
""We are the Super Heroes team and would love to explore Marvel and DC"
"Also, we have to consider whether an anniversary would acknowledge Spider-Man's original appearance in the Studios range, or the 2006 Batman theme. Super Heroes does not have a specific 'birth year' in quite the same way many other themes do."
The anniversary answer is such a cop out. They're the Super Heroes team on the Super Heroes theme therefore the birth year is 2012. The 2006 Batman and Studios Spider-Man aren't part of the Super Heroes theme. "
The Spider-Man sets came out in 2002, there’s zero excuse for Marvel not getting any.
We need... The LEGO Batman Movie 2!
Confession time: I'd never heard of 'Black Adam' until this comment section; together with the talk of a '60s Batmobile and that "campy" era, my mind put two and two together, got five, and thought it had something to do with Adam West...
DC Universe seems quite bland these days. Batman is interesting when it's rated R, superman is boring, and there's not much left to grab attention of general public. Maybe DC might focus more on spacey sagas with Green Latnerns and Supermans original planet, but this is too obscure for young masses. For now I don't see much future for DC characters in Lego.
The 10th anniversary question gets even messier for DC. If you exclude the Batman theme that tan 2006-2008, do you count the 2011 SDCC/NYCC minifigs, or just the 2012 retail release? The first Marvel Superheroes minifigs were the two NYTF exclusives that were handed out in February 2012, so that keeps a clean start year for that theme.
I love DC, but their mainstream movies are horrible and the way they are running DCU is embarrassing so no surprise TLG has nothing to work with.
They do have the animated movies they can tie to.
Having said that, movies or not, every child in the world know and love Batman and Superman, so these will always sell.
Please at least release a large scale '66 Batmobile, and then LEGO DC can finish or do whatever it wants. Obviously, I don't really want them to quit as I am sure there are a lot of LEGO DC fans who will be especially disappointed, and I'm a DC fan more than Marvel so count me as a LEGO DC fan too.
I suppose the wider Dakotaverse isn’t necessarily age appropriate for adaptation to LEGO. But given the Static cartoon that was made, doesn’t seem too much to hope for a Static minifig, does it? And more Lantern Corps! Got four Greens that I can think of and one Yellow, can we get more?
@bananaworld said:
"
We need... The LEGO Batman Movie 2!
Confession time: I'd never heard of 'Black Adam' until this comment section; together with the talk of a '60s Batmobile and that "campy" era, my mind but two and two together, got five, and thought it had something to do with Adam West..."
As much as I’d love a sequel, I don’t know that it’s likely since the Lego Movie rights moved over to Universal back in 2019, and I don’t imagine Warner will play that nicely with sharing their DC characters with a rival studio
These and other talking points have been quite thoroughly debunked in this video (not mine): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqKXLGGifhs
Among other points, LEGO had absolutely no problem turning out excellent and well-performing DC sets long before the DCEU even existed.
@BlueberryWaffles:
No Black Adam set is indeed a bit galling. Aside from the fact that most DC sets that feature heroes outside of Batman’s immediate circle, several have them assisting Batman against his own villains (and most of those are repeat characters rather than filling in notable gaps in his rogues gallery). But this movie would have given them an easy in for Dr. Fate, and another Hawkman might be nice. Captain Marvel also has appeared three times, but two times were as standalone minifigs, and the other time he was fighting one of Batman’s. Give him someone to face off with!
@CM4Sci:
Then people need to stop asking questions about what happened during the early days of the pandemic.
@CapnRex101:
Anything at all from B:TAS would have been welcome this year especially, since the Batmanest Batman of All Time just passed away a few days ago. So far, all I can remember is a handful of villains from the original Batman theme that were clearly based off the early B:TAS character designs, like the first Joker, Harley Quinn, and Two-Face.
@jmeninno:
Considering the literary Mad Hatter first appeared in a book published in 1865, what could Disney have to say about it that wouldn’t get them laughed out of court?
@Graupensuppe:
And we’re missing several key characters, like Two-Face and Catwoman, who aren’t easy to figbash.
@bananaworld:
Superman has to pull his punches with pretty much every one of his villains besides Darkseid and maybe Brainiac. Captain Marvel can go toe-to-toe with Superman and potentially defeat him. Black Adam is arguably more powerful than Captain Marvel, which is why Johnson is so keen on putting him against Superman. However, Black Adam is a supporting character (sometimes villain, sometimes anti-hero) to Captain Marvel, and doesn’t appear much outside of that IP. I remember one appearance in JLU, and a direct-to-DVD piece that was not feature-length, and after that I’m drawing a blank.
@thor96:
Most of the MCU was too obscure for casual viewers until Marvel spoon-fed the backstory to moviegoers. The MCU began with the Avengers because that was the most recognizable IP they still held the film rights for, and that was only because nobody else wanted to buy them. They were literally the top of the bottom of the barrel.
@ickis:
Even Static Shock had to be toned down quite a bit for animation. His original costume included a Malcolm X hat.
@Harmonious_Building:
I don’t have time to watch it right now, but if you’re referring to anything from the Batman theme that ran 2006-2008, keep in mind that was internally considered to be a flop, and was already slated to end when the third year’s sets released. It was only the timing of The Dark Knight that probably got them thinking again, because as soon as that movie hit (summer of 2008), you couldn’t find Batman sets anywhere. They also had problems selling SW sets in 2000, 2001, 2003, and 2005, which were the gap years between prequel films, and there were no series running at that time to drive interest.
It's a shame they missed the chance to release sets which tied into the Arrowverse, Star Labs, Arrow cave, Wave Rider etc. Even less likely now that the shows new owner has cancelled them all :(
Isn't Black Adam a borderline R-rated film? If so, I can see why Lego is steering clear.
Let us be honest, DC hasn't been so hot lately and Marvel is going through the same issues.
DCAU is where they should focus for a bit. Batman can be added to basically any set you could think of seeing as its mandatory for him to be in a set.
I know it probably doesn't have the mass appeal and originally came out too long ago, but would've been fun to have Young Justice sets. That said, I'm not too disappointed about the lack of DC sets; the figs are always great, but most Super Hero set designs are disappointing builds (for me anyway) since they tend to be aimed at a younger audience.
@Fatoran said:
" @bananaworld said:
"
We need... The LEGO Batman Movie 2!
Confession time: I'd never heard of 'Black Adam' until this comment section; together with the talk of a '60s Batmobile and that "campy" era, my mind but two and two together, got five, and thought it had something to do with Adam West..."
As much as I’d love a sequel, I don’t know that it’s likely since the Lego Movie rights moved over to Universal back in 2019, and I don’t imagine Warner will play that nicely with sharing their DC characters with a rival studio"
This is the right take, though I would add "not likely" is a severe understatement.
I'm waiting that 1989 Batmobile, set 76221, with space for driver and co-driver!
I reckon many people here are letting their in-depth knowledge of the DCiverse get in the way of thinking about what would make LEGO sets that mere mortals would actually buy; think no more deep than 2017's 'Justice League' film.
@uplift said:
The anniversary answer is such a cop out. They're the Super Heroes team on the Super Heroes theme therefore the birth year is 2012. The 2006 Batman and Studios Spider-Man aren't part of the Super Heroes theme. ]]
Well thank you very much for clarifying it for us. I shall bring these news to the team tomorrow morning, and hopefully we can have more cake in the afternoon.
@jmeninno said:
"...Mad Hatter (which I know could be a point of contention with Disney, maybe)...."
Other licensees have used "Jervis Tetch" (Mad Hatter's real name) to bypass potential conflicts with Disney. NOT a fan of that naming convention, but it's been done.
I saw MiniSuperHeroesToday's interview with him a few months ago, and I can totally see where he's coming from. However, if DC has more appeal to adults now, why can't we see one or two D2C's like the Daily Planet, Titans Tower or a UCS '66 Batmobile?
Regardless, it's kind of a shame things have gone this way, and I understand Strafford might be a bit frustrated as well. Hopefully in a few years time when all of this mess at WB has cleared up we can see a DC Renaissance.
Just give up on sets based on DC movies and do sets based on the JL, JLU, and even Batman Beyond animated series. Ask me - I’ll give you ideas.
If you want to gauge interest, do a DTC Watchtower or Hall of Justice with 25 or so characters a la the Daily Bugle. Charge $400. It’ll sell quite well.
You want to celebrate the anniversary of the Super Heroes line? Then go after permission to do a DTC JLA/Avengers / Avengers/JLA set with like 50+ characters. NO CIVILIANS. Make it the most epic set LEGO has ever done and make it the first $1,000 LEGO set. Blow people’s minds. Make the $800 AT-AT set look pathetic in comparison. I’ll buy one.
Bring back Mighty Micros and I’m happy!
I just want a Batcopter, both to go with 76188, and so I can get a Robin without having to track down 76052 on the secondary market.
The problem with DC sets is never DC itself but the sole emphasis on Batman. This is pretty much a general problem of DC now as it puts too much resource and attention on Batman while overlooking other characters. We can all assume that Black Adam is a hit movie this year then why no LEGO sets? Earlier this year they released sets based on The Batman. This is a very unusual move for both LEGO and DC. DC has been making this same mistake for years as the popularity of Batman hits sky high but other heroes simply can't share the same treatment.
During these ‘off periods’ for DC media, I think they should lean into the 60s Batman. The classic Batmobile set with Joker and Batman seemed to sell well.
@CapnRex101 said:
" @8BrickMario said:
"Why not keep trawling the comics or more Batman '66 or something? They're making it sound like the DCU is the only subject matter they can work with."
Movies and television series drive public awareness of DC and Marvel, so their success likely determines whether the market will sustain sets originating not only from those sources but also comics and past media.
Fundamentally, we have to assume that the performance of recent DC sets has been notably poor, hence LEGO has decided to focus almost exclusively on Marvel at the moment. However, I think LEGO made a mistake by not producing something to satisfy the existing DC fan base this year. Even one set celebrating Batman: The Animated Series or another popular subject would probably have been enough to stave off the worst of the negativity surrounding LEGO DC, for the time being."
Pursuant to that, I still feel like an opportunity was missed to strike while the Arrowverse's proverbial iron was hot. I'm not sure of the exact cultural impact those shows had overall (certainly less than the films), but you could draw plenty of great sets from them. Verdant/The Arrowcave for Arrow, S.T.A.R. Labs for The Flash, The Waverider for Legends of Tomorrow, etc.
Though, maybe those would've worked better in the context of LEGO's current turn towards an adult audience rather than when the shows were at their cultural peak. :/
@Gamlebilrokker said:
[[ @uplift said:
The anniversary answer is such a cop out. They're the Super Heroes team on the Super Heroes theme therefore the birth year is 2012. The 2006 Batman and Studios Spider-Man aren't part of the Super Heroes theme. ]]
Well thank you very much for clarifying it for us. I shall bring these news to the team tomorrow morning, and hopefully we can have more cake in the afternoon.
]]
Savage. LEGO taking a page out of the Lucasfilm PR playbook.
This isn’t an entirely acceptable answer to me. Something doesn’t add up.
They could slap Batman into every set and tap the last 50-70 years of DC content to do hundreds of great sets. And if they said they can’t…then they are underestimating how many people love the classic DC.
The Moms and kids will get the 20-30 dollar sets with the Batman in it. Doesn’t matter which era as long as there’s a cool car or Batcopter or something.
Now that James Gunn and Peter Safran have been named Co-Chairmen and CEOs of DC Studios, they'll hopefully turn things around...because quite frankly it's a mess right now.
@ShinyBidoof said:
"Isn't Black Adam a borderline R-rated film? If so, I can see why Lego is steering clear."
The Batman was way more violent imo (not to mention legitimately disturbing) and it got not one but four sets. Black Adam was censored to avoid an R rating but in its released form it has nothing on three hours worth of serial murder and kidnapping, thus they could’ve adapted it.
On a mostly unrelated note, LEGO has had many opportunities to adapt popular, unquestionably kid-friendly stuff like Teen Titans Go and most recently League of Super Pets yet didn’t make any sets for those. This is to say nothing of the lack of Shazam sets, which was a very well-received film and probably the most family-friendly DCEU entry when it came out. I just don’t get companies, I guess. \_(•w•)_/
@TomKazutara said:
"Why should I worry about DC ?
I didn't get my Overwatch heroes ."
Not really the time or place but I do agree, I’d like to see more overwatch. So many under-utilised concepts for sets themselves, the orca dropship is the big one. But we’ve had the morality discussion on whether Lego should be partners with blizzard before and we are not having it again.
There should definitely have been a Super-Pets set this summer: Krypto, Ace, Supes, Batman and Lex Luthor. The most basic, obvious, child friendly DC set imagineable.
@Brikkyy13 said:
"Savage. LEGO taking a page out of the Lucasfilm PR playbook. "
I hate it when people don't accept a legitimate answer to a question because they think they know better.
@CapnRex101 said:
" @8BrickMario said:
"Why not keep trawling the comics or more Batman '66 or something? They're making it sound like the DCU is the only subject matter they can work with."
Movies and television series drive public awareness of DC and Marvel, so their success likely determines whether the market will sustain sets originating not only from those sources but also comics and past media.
Fundamentally, we have to assume that the performance of recent DC sets has been notably poor, hence LEGO has decided to focus almost exclusively on Marvel at the moment. However, I think LEGO made a mistake by not producing something to satisfy the existing DC fan base this year. Even one set celebrating Batman: The Animated Series or another popular subject would probably have been enough to stave off the worst of the negativity surrounding LEGO DC, for the time being."
If TLG did an Animated Series figure and Batmobile/Batwing I'd buy it in a heartbeat!
Also , RIP Kevin Conroy, forever the greatest Batman of his generation
" @Gamlebilrokker said:
" @Brikkyy13 said:
Savage. LEGO taking a page out of the Lucasfilm PR playbook. "
I hate it when people don't accept a legitimate answer to a question because they think they know better. "
Ooh, me-ow! Catwoman's got competition!
@Harmonious_Building said:
"These and other talking points have been quite thoroughly debunked in this video (not mine): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqKXLGGifhs "
I love this.
Me, LEGO designer literally working for LEGO in Super Heroes design team answers questions.
LEGO Fan: "But this guy on You-Tube has debunked these answers."
"What? No, he's never worked on a Design team and doesn't work for LEGO but I believe him more."
Okay, That's your prerogative. But why would I lie?
And for the people saying stop replying with 'Covid', I would love to, but that's literally the answer. I could work at home so I did, so did anyone else who could, 90% of the team. Almost all communication was online, right up to the sketch models for sets coming out this coming January. Denmark had long lockdowns, we literally missed the ten years anniversary because through years 9 and 10 of SuperHeroes (as it's own theme) we hardly saw each other and no one brought it up in a meeting or anything, we didn't actually even have cake, that was a joke. Sorry.
@8BrickMario said:
"Why not keep trawling the comics or more Batman '66 or something? They're making it sound like the DCU is the only subject matter they can work with."
This, they keep ignoring family friendly things. Batman 66 was on re-run during kid friendly time in most countries this past few years and probably raised awareness of itself with children that lack normal superhero shows and cartoons.
I remember the Arrowverse cartoons being rather popular with people of all ages once The Flash season 1 rolled around. It seemed like we would have an all-family inclusive media universe like the MCU, maybe even more kid-friendly than the MCU. It is a strange frankensteinian soap opera zombie currently but to ignore the CW shows completely from the beginning or see them as solely adult entertainment was completely the wrong move when modern media is the most important factor for them in choosing media allegedly.
Shazam was the movie Lego asked for and they did nothing with it but a Nu52 Shazam torso to put into one set and a lousy polybag.
This contradictory behavior is incidentally why I don't see any worth in designer interviews. In the end they make mistakes but it seems company policy prevents them from acknowledging or even silently fixing them at all. This has nothing to do with the 3 year lead time on sets. They actively and intentionally winded down DC comics sets by so often focusing on Batman exclusively when people clamor every time they are released in sets for essential Justice League heroes in generic comic styles (not Rebirth or New52 styles). Good for those people that Ali exists, or rather has existed. Even they kind of stopped bootlegging DC characters now that Marvel has a live action film or show out every 6 weeks.
@Gamlebilrokker said:
[[ @Brikkyy13 said:
Savage. LEGO taking a page out of the Lucasfilm PR playbook. ]]
I hate it when people don't accept a legitimate answer to a question because they think they know better. ]]
Tell that to @uplift, I didn’t even know DC products had dropped off until today.
@Gamlebilrokker said:
[[ @Brikkyy13 said:
Savage. LEGO taking a page out of the Lucasfilm PR playbook. ]]
I hate it when people don't accept a legitimate answer to a question because they think they know better. ]]
The legitimate answer was that they didn't even think of it, or discuss it because of the lack of communication (even though they still had countless ways of communication and didn't need to and shouldn't go completely silent during lockdowns).
The Studios and 2006 factoids are thrown in there because it justifies the current state of the line and is a good additional excuse, but the first line was obviously the most important bit.
The designers forget about simple things quite often. They do a Battle of Utapau themed AT-TE but instead of just one guy watching the 4 minutes of relevant scenes in the movie to get the obvious idea to do a crab droid they just throw random stuff at the wall. With their stringent hiring policy I expect at least one person out of the themes design team to be aware of such little things so in total EVERY detail is being considered. That's not too much to ask for when a theme consists of, I don't know, 5 to 12 people and they claim so much prestige for their hiring process. With those mistakes they can really hire better people or more people.
The future is hopeful! Just no mechs please! Marvel has enough of those!
@Anonym said:
"The legitimate answer was that they didn't even think of it, or discuss it because of the lack of communication."
And now? That was a legitimate answer. There was lockdown, people were working from home, and remembering and calling about anniversaries of franchises isn't exactly part of a designer's job description. Saying that all this is just a lie because of something is knowing better.
Also, how do you know how the design process and decision making works to think that it's enough to watch four minutes of a show to make a set of an obscure machine that has 3 seconds of screentime? AFOLs always assume that all of this is that easy, everything solved in under one second...
" @Gamlebilrokker said:
AFOLs always assume that all of this is that easy, everything solved in under one second..."
AFOLs are customers. Biting the hand that feeds you is not a good idea - TLG needs to bear this in mind.
@Anonym said:
[[ @Gamlebilrokker said:
[[ @Brikkyy13 said:
Savage. LEGO taking a page out of the Lucasfilm PR playbook. ]]
I hate it when people don't accept a legitimate answer to a question because they think they know better. ]]
The legitimate answer was that they didn't even think of it, or discuss it because of the lack of communication (even though they still had countless ways of communication and didn't need to and shouldn't go completely silent during lockdowns).
The Studios and 2006 factoids are thrown in there because it justifies the current state of the line and is a good additional excuse, but the first line was obviously the most important bit.
The designers forget about simple things quite often. They do a Battle of Utapau themed AT-TE but instead of just one guy watching the 4 minutes of relevant scenes in the movie to get the obvious idea to do a crab droid they just throw random stuff at the wall. With their stringent hiring policy I expect at least one person out of the themes design team to be aware of such little things so in total EVERY detail is being considered. That's not too much to ask for when a theme consists of, I don't know, 5 to 12 people and they claim so much prestige for their hiring process. With those mistakes they can really hire better people or more people.]]
I'm struggling to think of how they can hire "better" people- I always see comments complaining about how fans can build models that are so much better than any official set, but the majority of LEGO's designers, including Mark Stafford and Adam Grabowski, began as very talented and prominent LEGO fans. This extends to many recent hires as well- Chris McVeigh, Justin Ramsden, Nick Vás, and others were all prolific AFOLs before LEGO hired them.
@TheIronBadger said:
[[[[ @Gamlebilrokker said:
AFOLs always assume that all of this is that easy, everything solved in under one second...]]
AFOLs are customers. Biting the hand that feeds you is not a good idea - TLG needs to bear this in mind.]]
The hand that feeds them are parents of 6-14 YO children. I know the adult market for Lego has blown up in recent years, but it's still not the chief demographic. I'm more surprised they're on here giving us their point of view in the first place, given the reception on this article. There's been a fair amount of whining going on...
@Quinnly said:
"Let’s kill Lego DC anyway. Never was good never will be."
I assume you are just trolling, but could you try to be a bit more inventive? Your apparent prescience regarding the future of the theme is... boring.
@Nabii said:
" @Harmonious_Building said:
"These and other talking points have been quite thoroughly debunked in this video (not mine): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqKXLGGifhs "
I love this.
Me, LEGO designer literally working for LEGO in Super Heroes design team answers questions.
LEGO Fan: "But this guy on You-Tube has debunked these answers."
"What? No, he's never worked on a Design team and doesn't work for LEGO but I believe him more."
Okay, That's your prerogative. But why would I lie?
And for the people saying stop replying with 'Covid', I would love to, but that's literally the answer. I could work at home so I did, so did anyone else who could, 90% of the team. Almost all communication was online, right up to the sketch models for sets coming out this coming January. Denmark had long lockdowns, we literally missed the ten years anniversary because through years 9 and 10 of SuperHeroes (as it's own theme) we hardly saw each other and no one brought it up in a meeting or anything, we didn't actually even have cake, that was a joke. Sorry."
Thank you, @Nabii, for all that you do.
This is a topic that I am glad has come up in an interview. I can understand the designers reasons for the lack of sets at the moment. Some commenters on here seem to think that Lego should just release a whole load of Batman sets (60s, TAS, TBATB - whatever) but there's already quite enough Batman related sets - we don't need them more frequently.
What is 'kinda but not really' debatable is their approach to 'stand-alone' movies not connected directly to the big three or Justice League in general. They are playing it safe, because the ROI is nowhere near certain. I wasn't convinced Black Adam would work (The Rock in a role where he isn't telling jokes or being street-savvy? That's a bit of a stretch for audiences. As is the character in general to be honest). I was the same about Shazam. Other ventures are for more mature audiences than Lego tends to market to, so again the ROI is not clear.
I personally am happy to wait. I still haven't built my 89 Batmobile, Batwing or even The Batman Batmobile. Doctor Fate will come eventually, as will the others.
I’m glad the DC line isn’t being discontinued any time soon. The Batman movie Lego sets were really good but I don’t know why they blame the lack of current DC media as the reason for no other sets since there was the Super Pets movie and a bunch of DC Comics shows on CW with The Flash, Lois and Clark, Star Girl, and Krypton. Then there’s also the Teen Titans Go! on Cartoon Network and the Titans series on HBO. If you’re going to make licensed sets, Lego should be aware of the possibilities. ;-)
My kids are too young for any of the MCU or DCEU films. We have both LEGO Marvel Superheroes 2 and LEGO DC Super Villains for the PS4--and of the two, they definitely gravitate towards the DC characters more. They also loved The LEGO Batman Movie (I'm still bummed we're not getting a sequel).
I would love it if TLG starting making more sets like 76035 and 76025--the bright colors and fun character inclusions are so much more appealing than the more muted offerings based on the most recent Batman film.
I know I might get some hate about this, but I want all "Comic" sets (Marvel Mechs, Generic Batman sets, Spidey and Avengers over-sized vehicles) to be more akin to the Lego Batman Movie sets and lean into the comics.
Include unique designs for the characters, specialized moulds for characters, obscure characters and affordable buildings in the main 'kids' line like the 76166 , 76057 and 76005! We could finally get a Big Wheel set or a really psychotic looking Green Goblin and Carnage figures in the Spider-Man line, an X-Mansion, a Fantasticar, a Hall of Justice with comic actuate figs of the main Justice League and they can bring back the movie designs for the figures in the Batman line!
Essentially bring the theme back to the mid-2010s with a balance of movie sets, comic sets, Marvel sets and DC sets; with colorful comic sets and a focus on buildings and obscure characters, and keep the Marvel Modulars going, we NEED an Avengers Tower! I want the actual comic sets of the 2010s, not the "comic" sets that are using the Avengers Videogame designs or inspired by the Insomniac Spider-Man games! The closest we've been to this is 76178, and that is retiring next year!
Either that or more stupid Marvel mechs, pointless Spidey vehicles and overpriced D2Cs that nobody asked for...
@Gamlebilrokker said:
" @Anonym said:
"The legitimate answer was that they didn't even think of it, or discuss it because of the lack of communication."
And now? That was a legitimate answer. There was lockdown, people were working from home, and remembering and calling about anniversaries of franchises isn't exactly part of a designer's job description. Saying that all this is just a lie because of something is knowing better.
Also, how do you know how the design process and decision making works to think that it's enough to watch four minutes of a show to make a set of an obscure machine that has 3 seconds of screentime? AFOLs always assume that all of this is that easy, everything solved in under one second...
"
I something else people often forget is you guys are designing sets so far in advance. So you're working on these sets 1-2 years ago ON TOP of everything happening with Covid. It absolutely is not the designer's responsibilities to be keeping track of important dates.
I look forward to seeing what you guys have cooked up for 2023 :)
I'm sure once David Zaslav finished cleaning Warner from all the people that have completely sunk DC in the past few years, and the studio starts producing good films again, LEGO will have more than enough material to produce good sets again.
Which will be good, because they'll need to replace Marvel, now that the M-She-U has taken Marvel to the gutter and with it the goodwill of an increasingly bigger number of customers. As interest in Marvel's propaganda winds down, DC is set to step in and take their place, assuming James Gun doesn't completely miss the mark.
@djcbs said:
"I'm sure once David Zaslav finished cleaning Warner from all the people that have completely sunk DC in the past few years, and the studio starts producing good films again, LEGO will have more than enough material to produce good sets again.
Which will be good, because they'll need to replace Marvel, now that the M-She-U has taken Marvel to the gutter and with it the goodwill of an increasingly bigger number of customers. As interest in Marvel's propaganda winds down, DC is set to step in and take their place, assuming James Gun doesn't completely miss the mark."
It fascinates me that a real person wrote this, given that every other word seems to be written in an arcane tongue. Sorry that they put women in Spider-Man, though, that’s a very real, important problem for an adult to be whinging about on the internet.
@ecleme11:
They did make several Arrowverse SDCC minifigs (Green Arrow, Arsenal, Atom, Supergirl, Vixen, and Black Lightning). The shows had fairly low ratings, and were only kept on the air because WB owned the IP, and they had a contract with Hulu for streaming previous seasons. Once the Hulu contract ended, and WB parted ways with CW, they just weren't profitable. In hindsight, it's not even a tiny bit surprising that they never did proper sets based on the Arrowverse.
@xccj:
Young Justice did get a third season on DC Universe in 2019, and a fourth season on HBO Max last year. I don't know if there's wide enough awareness to push a line of sets, but it sounds like any DC set can benefit from a high-profile movie or TV show, whether it's directly tied to it or not.
@CCC:
IP licenses aren't renewed on a monthly or annual basis. You sign a contract for a number of years, whether the theme lasts that long or not.
@bananaworld:
If Snyder had been able to finish his film instead of letting Whedon jack it up, the sets probably would have sold better than they did. DC sales across the board would have benefited, and they may have been more likely to release sets based on movies that got none (Shazam), or multiple sets based on movies that only got one (WW84).
@RaiderOfTheLostBrick:
I want a Modular-compatible GCPD.
@bty8:
Why is Batman in most DCS sets? Batman is a known quantity, as the most popular superhero of all time. Batman sets will always sell. Black Adam is an unknown quantity, as are most DC characters outside of Superman and, to a lesser extent, Wonder Woman. That's why most of them only appear alongside either Batman or Superman.
@Nth_Brick:
Supergirl did so poorly it got booted from CBS after one season, had its budget downsized, had its ratings drop, and was still the highest rated Arrowverse show for a bit. There's a vocal fanbase, but not a lucrative one.
@Trigger_:
The Dark Knight would have had an R, or possibly NC-17 rating, if they had only zoomed out maybe 10%. They very carefully framed the shots so every death but one happened just off screen, and the only one you actually see is the guy who is facing away from the camera when Nurse Joker shoots him in the chest, so you don't see the act that killed him.
@J0rgen:
They've released DCS Bathound and Krypto, and I used a bright-pink pig, and Friends versions of a turtle and squirrel for the other three, and a Friends hamster for the main villain. Lots of kids have recognized them. It would have been nice to get a real set, because I'm kinda stuck on some of the hench-animals.
@Mr__Thrawn:
And just as importantly, every one of them has had to relearn how to design models that can be released as sets, rather than displayed as MOCs. Some AFOLs were brought in to help design the Galaxy Squad sets, and mentioned in interviews that they kept making stuff like they normally would, only to be told they couldn't do this and that, or that they needed to strengthen the design here or there, and much of what they came up with ended up being turned down because it just wouldn't pass the Design Department, where they test for illegal techniques and general robustness of design.
@graymattr:
I would burn an Ironman minifig to get a proper theme based on Teen Titans Go!, which still is still missing 40% of the title characters.
@djcbs:
There's room for everyone, as long as the stories have solid writing. I watched Harley Quinn's debut appearance live during its first broadcast, and she's been tied with Batman as my favorite comic book character ever since. The B:TAS producers did quickly realize that they'd put her in a toxic relationship, and paired her up with Poison Ivy, which has had widespread impact, and hasn't drawn much in the way of ranty criticism (at least not that I've seen). I'd love to see a Batgirl movie (just don't let Whedon hear about it until the prints have been shipped to theaters). Stargirl (which has a diverse cast that matches the comic book) is better than any Arrowverse series. But Supergirl put too much focus on angry politics in later seasons, and lost sight of what the show was supposed to be about.
@Gamlebilrokker said:
" Also, how do you know how the design process and decision making works to think that it's enough to watch four minutes of a show to make a set of an obscure machine that has 3 seconds of screentime? AFOLs always assume that all of this is that easy, everything solved in under one second...
"
My two cents
1) TLG has been open in the past about the timeframe of the design process. Unless something drastic has changed recently, it’s a fair assumption that an AFOL will be familiar enough with the design process to make reasonable suggestions. Do AFOLs make unrealistic demands? Constantly. Could LEGO throw us a rope that isn’t through LAN every once in a while? Idk what the DC fans are actually asking for here but more communication regarding a slowdown of releases wouldn’t be a bad thing.
2) its not unreasonable to expect a Star Wars fan to recognise a crab droid anf it’s not unreasonable for LEGO Star Wars fans to expect a high degree of accuracy in their sets after 20+ years of high accuracy sets. I’ll shill for LEGO’s Star Wars team any day of the week because they consistently churn out high quality models, but even I can see that these guys don’t care about the source material as much as they say they do. If they truly cared, they wouldn’t have tried to pass off a Clone Commander as a pilot in a $600AU set and they would’ve put in the effort for a crab droid.
@peterlmorris said:
"I hope Zaslav resurrects something like the Justice League animated series. My daughter really loved Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, even though they’re fairly old. The stories in those series were great. "
Doubtful, he doesnt like animation to the point the new Bruce Timm Batman cartoon got dropped by HMAX and picked up by AppleTV.
I just want a Black Adam and SHAZAM 2 set to be released as I would love these figures in my collection.
@Cyno01:
What? That sucks. Any chance it might end up on DVD at some point?
@Japanbuilder:
Besides the SDCC version, there was a polybag of Captain Marvel, and one regular set included him. I believe one of those can be obtained for a reasonable price. If nothing else, see if you can locate a copy of the DVD the polybag shipped with. I grabbed a few when it first released, and at least four more when it went on clearance.
@8BrickMario said:
"Why not keep trawling the comics or more Batman '66 or something? They're making it sound like the DCU is the only subject matter they can work with."
I feel Like they could definitely do comic based tie in sets, or they could have done sets on Black Adam.
Honestly there are so many relevant old properties they could do sets on BTAS The Nolan trilogy, Arkham games, more sets on the Batman. I don't think Dc is in any way less relevant then Marvel
@gonesnakee said:
"We All Know Marvel Rules! Nuff Said!!!"
Ruled! Marvel WAS (very) good. Now it's highly debatable: Eternals, Thor: Love and Thunder (this was so cringy especially towards the end (Thor's improvised army), I had to force myself to finish the movie and I believe I still have aftereffect from it)) - somehow Marvel still managed to make more money at each Thor's movie iteration....
That said, the decline of Marvel did nothing to refloat DC (yet).
@alecsaddiction:
The issue isn’t what they could do, but what will drive sales. SW tanked between prequel movies because there was a two year gap each time, and no new content being produced. Kids’ attention wandered for a bit, and sales of even OT sets went into a slump. Movie comes out, the entire theme recovers, including OT. With DC, it’s not enough to have a hit movie driving sales, but it needs to be anticipated that there will be a hit movie, that’s also kid-friendly-ish (so nothing like Joker, even though it broke into the Billion Dollar Club). If the movie is a flop, sales will reflect that across the board, even if the movie is actually good. Between the vitriol DC films have been attacked with even before they were released, and WB execs sabotaging films like Justice League in response, I’m not surprised they didn’t launch a bunch of sets to coincide with Black Adam, especially after being burned on release dates for several films the past few years.
After the 89 Batmobile and the 89 Batwing sets I'd kind of just like them to make a Batman Returns Batski Boat vs. Penguin Ducky set or something that isn't 4+ so we can have more detail. Throw in a Returns based Catwoman minifigure with the print of her costume and I'd be all set for DC come next year. Just saying.
With that first paragraph: I see a problem: The “Super Hero team” is working on BOTH DC and Marvel…and in any other business; that would be called a ‘conflict of interest’, because…it is. Lego’s also not helping with the issue, because; well: next time you’re on Lego’s website (within your own country, natch), go to ‘Shop by Brand’, I’ll wait…so what did you see: 4? 5? 6+ Disney related ‘brands’, as opposed to 3 WB (DC, Batman, Harry Potter). In the past, sometimes WB would have an additional ‘float’: Scooby Doo, Power Puff Girls, and so on…Oh, and it doesn’t help when you use their current “Blockbuster” (which BP2 ain’t) in promos/advertising…Kind’a like the “House of Louse” has a ‘thumb on the scale’…
If Todd McFarlane Toys, Spin Master Toys, and Neca Wiz Kids can make DC WORK, why can’t TLG?
Second paragraph: *SIGH*…everyone; a moment of silence for Kevin Conroy…
Ok, well technically ‘correct’; but we’re talking DC…as a WHOLE…and TLG seem to SKIP the DC animated stuff going to DVD/Blu-Ray (Legion of Superheroes is dropping in Feb. 2023…WHERE’S MY SATURN GIRL…:(), IGNORE the live-action (‘Flash’ ends this year, but ‘Stargirl’ and ‘Superman and Lois’ are still on…think ‘Legends of Tomorrow’ is too)…and need I point out: Lego and DC/WB MAKE ANIMATED MOVIES (and Video Games, and…) too…MINE THOSE FOR CRYIN” OUT LOUD…
Next: “…as long as we have the licence”…(face-palm)…I have a headache….Look, TLG: You have the DC licence; USE IT!!! And not just for Video Games or Animated Movies (although do continue those as well), but actual physical products, IE: Sets…Not to mention: How about a DC CMF2…the first one had good ‘buzz’ and characters…heck; I have two monochrome figures, one light blue one bright green…why? Because, if TLG isn’t going to give me a (80’s) Blue Devil or (anytime) Ambush Bug, I’m just gonna make my own…likewise, I’m formulating a Ted Kord Blue Beetle…a 87993 is a PREFECT BB Gun…
Last part…*SIGH*…again: we’re talking, DC not…again: split “Super Heroes” into TWO units, increase production for DC stuff, I mean besides stuff I mentioned: Young Justice is still ‘a thing’, Shazam 2 is coming soon, so’s Aquaman 2, more CMFs, and why not an Advent Calendar…TLG, prove ‘the folks w/The Mouse Ears’ aren’t strong-arming you; free things up, and GO FOR IT…Besides, ‘D-’ is on a ‘slide’, and quite a few folks are saying DC will starting overtaking ‘Morbid’ studios, as early as next year…