Escapism is baked into so much modern entertainment; the notion of imagining yourself as a brave and powerful hero is an intoxicating fantasy. So it’s honestly surprising it’s taken this long to connect that idea to action figures — and to create a figure based on a famous property that doesn’t look like the characters from those movies or shows but instead looks like you.
That’s the clever hook behind Hasbro’s new “Selfie Series,” which will allow fans to scan their faces through an app and then submit them to Hasbro, who can then use them to create action figures based on a variety of properties. If you go check out the Hasbro website, you’ll see that the initial lineup — which will go on sale this fall — includes the option to turn yourself into the Mandalorian from Star Wars, Marvel’s Spider-Man or Black Panther, a Ghostbuster, a Power Ranger, or several G.I. Joes.
This video shows you some of the technology behind the process, which involves using 3D printing to create the heads that then go on basic bodies from Power Rangers or Ghostbusters or whatever type of figure you want. You also get to see some of the figures up close, along with the variety of hairdos and skin tones they can replicate.
The success of these toys will come down to the likenesses; do they really look like the person they’re trying to capture? If they do, I could see this being a big hit. If they don’t, it’s a novelty that will probably go away quickly. But it’s a cool idea either way.
You can get more information and sign up for alerts when the Selfie Series goes on sale at Hasbro’s website. Some fans at Comic-Con will get an early first-crack at making their own figures as well. (Hasbro hasn’t announced an official price for the figures yet.)
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