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*Disney and Hasbro, the manufacturing giant that has the master license for “Black Panther” toys most likely didn’t expect white folks to interested in buying up merchandise related to the film, which explains why there’s an embarrassing shortage of Wakanda-themed toys.
Hasbro admits that it won’t even have any new goods to accompany the DVD — despite the fact that such pairings are standard industry practice, per the New York Post.
“Hasbro often comes out with new items with a video release,” said Jim Silver, president of toy review website TTPM, told The Post. But “the toy industry underestimated ‘Black Panther.’”
Toy shelves nationwide were already going bare in early March — just three weeks after the movie’s Feb. 16 release.
“Our in-store check have also shown a lot of empty pegs,” BMO Securities analyst Gerrick Johnson wrote at the time.
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Black Panther” surpassed past “Titanic” to become the third-highest-grossing film in the US of all time. And yet, there are very few of the 6-inch, $10 action figures of the movie’s title characters available to purchase online.
There’s only a single, as-yet-unreleased Black Panther toy that’s been announced. The $99 helmet, which boasts “Vibranium-inspired design with flip-up eye lenses,” won’t hit shelves until the fall, a Hasbro spokeswoman confirmed.
“We’ve got three factories in China working overtime to get 300,000 items out as fast as possible,” says Jay Foreman, CEO of Basic Fun, which is producing plush toys for amusement parks and kids’ venues like Chuck E. Cheese. “We are scheduling the product to ship on the fastest container ships to help make it in time.”
Disney CEO, Bob Iger, had been blindsided by the movie’s success — and a studio insider said there is “a second wave of product coming in the next few months.”
Meanwhile, a Disney spokeswoman insisted that the “Black Panther” product line is “the largest ever for a Marvel origin film, including expanded categories, such as performance wear and high-fashion collaborations.”
Parents have taken to Twitter to complain about a lack of goods across the board.
“Kid asked for a Black Panther themed birthday party,” an Atlanta mother complained. “We are having a hard time finding party decor. #1 movie in the world and the stores don’t have any party merchandise. #Annoyed #BlackPanther.”
“I still need to know where they are hiding all of the merchandise,” another tweeted last month. “I need three sets of twin bed sheets, a shower curtain, and matching towels.”
According to reports, Hasbro released just 11 “Black Panther” toys for the film’s debut — about half what retailers carried for the “Justice League” film and a third of what they carry for “Power Rangers” movies, according to NPD Group.
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