With two trailers and several stills out so far, Avengers: Age of Ultron is gearing up for an explosive arrival at the summer 2015 box office. As media coverage continues to roll out for the franchise, British entertainment magazine Empire has revealed their the covers of their upcoming March issue, which heroically displays the entire cast, including newcomers Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch. Additionally, subscribers get a pretty menacing exclusive Ultron cover. I predict I’ll be a subscriber by this evening.
The issue hit stands on January 29th and feature a twenty page Marvel insert, sure to brew up all that fanboy angst you’re feeling.
In addition to the Empire magazine cover, the Age of Ultron cast has been seen in various merchandising forms including action figures, busts, toys and our personal faves: Funko! Pops! If you know anything about the Grizzly gang, we loves us some Funko Pops, and given any chance we’re all for over-stuffing our current collections. The Vision and Ultron vinyl figures are already developing into fan favorites, and who can blame them?
But one can’t help but notice a glaring oversight in the Age of Ultron line-up: Black Widow. This isn’t the first time Marvel has done this with its merchandising, as there was a lack of focus on Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy‘s retail run. We’d hate to think Marvel or Funko are promoting a “boys only” club, as the Avengers should speak to more than male consumers. That said, Black Widow is present in Funko’s Mystery Minis line, which still seems a bit odd, as Kevin Feige noted how paramount her role in AoU will be. Surely we can cut down one of the guys right (Hawkeye would make a suitable swap)? Hopefully Funko will produce a second wave of figures, as they’ve already begun with Tony Stark’s mega-sized Hulkbuster Funko Pop! vinyl. As if you needed a reason to be more excited for Age of Ultron.
Images: Empire, Funko
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