MCM London 2019: Tokunation Interview Hasbro

Tokunation had the chance to briefly sit down with representatives from Hasbro at the second day of MCM Comic Con London, just ahead of their panel taking place tomorrow. The Hasbro booth had all four wave 3 Lightning Collection figures on display, along with the MMPR Red Ranger and Zeo Gold Ranger 2-pack and the White Ranger helmet. Here’s a full rundown of the questions we quickly got to ask them!

The fandom is pretty excited about the forthcoming Lord Drakkon figure. Does this mean there are plans for more comic-original characters in the future, including Drakkon’s other forms?

Hasbro: With over 26 years of content, we have plenty to work with when it comes to Power Rangers. There’s nothing else on the table right now, but stay tuned for more to come in the future.

Does the content you have to work with extend to the designs from both the 1995 and 2017 films?

Hasbro: The same again really. We have a lot of characters to work with and though there’s nothing planned right now there’s more to come.

The burning question is of course if Lightning Collection Megazords are in the pipeline, but what about Morphers, weapons and other roleplay items as well?

Hasbro: Power Rangers as a brand encompasses a lot of different elements that we’re all considering, and we’re excited to share with you what we have in store when the time comes!

So far each of the waves have included at least one figure from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Is this a pattern that will continue going forward?

Hasbro: Of course Mighty Morphin is a popular series but we’re enjoying the opportunity to pepper in characters from other seasons amongst the waves. Right now there’s no set formula to the releases.

There has been some concern regarding quality control on the figures, particularly with missing paint apps. Have Hasbro aware of any problems with the line?

Hasbro: Hasbro are among the best in class when it comes to quality, and so naturally we focus on QC. We do our best to make sure everything is as it should be and are always looking for ways to improve.

Among the best elements of the Lightning Collection is that eye-catching box art by Tom Whalen. How did that collaboration come about?

Hasbro: Hasbro aren’t just the best in class when it comes to quality, when it came to developing the Lightning Collection we really wanted to make it stand out from a packaging standpoint. So our development team reached out to Tom and we’ve enjoyed working with such a passionate artist.

Ending on a more UK-specific note, what is the reason behind the figures seemingly being released individually over here, as opposed to assorted waves in the US?

Hasbro: Distribution is managed locally, so all we can really say is that it’ll vary from place to place.

We’d like to thank Hasbro for taking the time to answer these questions, and look forward to what they have in store for the future! Be sure to stay tuned for more Power Rangers Lightning Collection news coming out of London this weekend!