Toy Review – Hot Toys “Deadpool & Wolverine” Deadpool Sixth Scale Figure
It’s no surprise Marvel has gone especially big with the merch for last year’s mega-hit Deadpool & Wolverine, including no less than nine different Hot Toys figures announced so far and with more teased to come (that means you, Gambit and Elektra). But here I’m focusing on the figure for the guy who’s first billed, Deadpool himself, who is available now via Sideshow Collectibles.
I’m reviewing the Collector Edition, though keep in mind there’s also a Special Edition version that has a different rocky themed base for the figure and the two gold colored pistols Deadpool gets from Nicepool in the film. Also, it’s worth noting that, in a huge rarity for Hot Toys, there was a limited run of the Deadpool figure actually timed to Deadpool & Wolverine’s theatrical release last summer, but alas, I was not among those who got that first group, so mine only recently arrived.
As is often the case for Hot Toys, the box art itself is noteworthy, here thanks to the cool inclusion of the the three Wolverine claw “slash" marks in the artwork behind Deadpool itself.
Hot Toys has already made three previous standout Deadpool Hot Toys figures (more on that below) so it’s no surprise that this is another terrific one. This is a simply excellent sixth scale representation of what has stood out for the better part of a decade, since the first Deadpool movie was released in 2016, as one of the best and most accurate on screen interpretations of a comic book character’s costume.
The first Marvel Studios-produced version of Deadpool did make some tweaks to that costume, without straying too far from what already worked, and the figure reflects that. The most obvious change is in the red on the costume, which is more bright than in the first two movies. I was happy to see this change in the film – the brighter red is actually more true to the source material than the subdued color of the previous outfit – and it looks great in Hot Toys form. It helps the figure really pop out and be all the more noticeable on your shelf. Five pairs of interchangeable eye pieces also help you add a lot of variations to the character.
The detail is super impressive on his costume, helping you better appreciate the nuances of the suit that you might not in the film, including the protective gear like the shoulder and knee pads and the added pops of gold on his gloves and buckles, which was another new addition for the MCU official Deadpool.
On the accessories side, this is actually a rather standout four-characters-in-one deal. One of Deadpool’s “accessories" is a Babypool figurine, which boasts some articulation, including a rotable head and moving arms and legs. Hot Toys went even further as well, adding even more unexpected touches to Babypool by including two pairs of interchangeable eyepieces for the character and two removable baby bottles.
But wait, there’s more! Because there’s also a figurine – do you use that term for a character who’s just a floating head? - of Headpool, complete with a movable jaw and two styles of interchangeable fan (both still and in motion). And last but certainly not least, the one and only Dogpool, sporting his goggles and boasting a moveable head and articulated front legs. While it would have been nice if Dogpool’s back legs were articulated too, the fact that all three of these extra characters have any articulation at all is appreciated, given in the past inclusions like this, such as the Spider-Ham that came with the Hot Toys Into the Spider-Verse Gwen figure, had no articulation at all.
As for the Deadpool specific accessories, besides 12 different hand variations, those aforementioned interchangeable eye pieces, and the baby carrier he has to keep Babypool strapped to him, Wade Wilson’s got his usual go-to weapons, including two katanas, two pistols, and one dagger (or Baby Knife, as he called it in the film). They all look good and have great looking holsters and sheaths, though I do have some quibbles, including that the swords are plastic, given previous Deadpool figures had actual mini metal swords that did both look and feel even better. Also, the magnet holding the sword sheath to Deadpool’s back doesn’t hold in place as firmly as I’d like. It’ll stay just fine while posed on a shelf, but if you’re moving him, beware it might come off while in transit. Meanwhile, making it so you can actually load the ammo on his guns (as seen in the photo above) is one of those especially nice extra touches, particularly given what a spotlight Deadpool’s acrobatic gun loading tricks were given in Deadpool & Wolverine.
It’s worth mentioning that in general, the accessories are one of those other places where the details really stand out, such as the Deadpool logos on the bottom of the ammo or the weathering on the sword sheaths. These are things that were oh-so briefly visible in the film, and might have been missed by many, but add to the figure feeling more realistic.
My one big complaint about this figure? This is the fourth time Hot Toys has made a movie-based Deadpool figure (there were two different releases for Deadpool 2, including the “Dusty" grey version) and yet also the fourth time they have not included an alternate unmasked Wade Wilson head. One would naturally presume they just don’t have Ryan Reynolds’ likeness rights as an understandable reason for this, which may well have been the case for the first two films. But now they’ve announced a figure for Deadpool & Wolverine’s Nicepool, who is of course an unmasked (and non-prosthetic makeup-laden) version of Deadpool which very much does sport Reynolds’ features. That being the case, it’s all the more frustrating to not have an unmasked option with Deadpool himself still.
That issue aside, this is the best-looking Deadpool Hot Toys figure yet. If you have one of the previous figures, those are great too and you might be happy staying with it as-is, but for those who’ve always wanted a Deadpool Hot Toys figure but haven’t gotten one yet, I’d highly recommend this incarnation.
On Sideshow’s site, Deadpool is currently not in stock for immediate purchase but is available to join the waitlist - which I’ve had luck with in the past and would recommend trying for those interested. I’ve been less than thrilled to see the always-expensive Hot Toys figure creep up more and more in price though and Deadpool breaks the $300 mark at $315.00. Does it help that he comes with the three additional (albeit small-statured) Deadpool Corps characters? It does a bit. But being priced less would be even better, to be sure.
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