LEGO “Avengers: Endgame” Polybag (30452) Reveal Sees Return of Funny Iron Man “Supporting Character”

When the first “Iron Man” film premiered in 2008 and launched the MCU franchise, it featured a popular recurring “character.” The quotes are because this character wasn’t a person but a mechanical helper of RDJ’s Tony Stark: a robotic hand he built as a teen (in “flashback”) and called “Dum-E”.

MCU watches might remember Dum-E for comically spraying fire retardant on his boss every time Tony’s initial tests on the (second and third) Iron Man armors backfired. But later the arm actually saves his life. We’re talking about Dum-E because he gets prominently featured in an upcoming LEGO Marvel polybag.

With the “Avengers” title on this recently-leaked polybag, we can assume it ties in to this April’s culminating epic “Avengers: Endgame” which wraps up the first three “Phases” of the MCU films. Iron Man and Dum-E (30452) depicts Tony Stark in a white proto-armor with Iron Man helmet, testing some jet boots while Dum-E waits on one side, probably ready to spray the foam again.

Now, just because stuff appears on a movie tie-in LEGO set doesn’t mean it will play out as pictured in the film itself. Regardless, fans who have seen images of this new LEGO Marvel “Avengers” polybag (30452) are betting that Dum-E will get a big role to play, such as helping remove the Infinity Gauntlet.

Well, it’s fun to speculate.

We assume LEGO Marvel Iron Man and Dum-E (30452) will arrive on stores and Shop@Home along with the rest of the “Avengers: Endgame” tie-in sets this coming March 1. While there are no additional details, it’ll probably follow these LEGO City polybags in being “free with purchase” promotional items, before becoming conventionally available later on.

“Avengers: Endgame” premieres April 26.

Promotional Item (Decorative Keychain) Also Coming for LEGO Creator Ford Mustang (10265) this March 1-10

Anybody claiming that the newly-revealed LEGO Creator Ford Mustang set (10265) sucks is either lying through his teeth, making an ill joke, or is a troll. Just looking at the official images would fire up any LEGO and automotive fan, and proves the Creator line is just as great as LEGO Technic in rendering detailed car models using LEGO pieces.

LEGO is also pretty sure that the Creator Mustang (10265) will be lapped up by collectors come March 1. So they’ve decided to spice up the fans’ anticipation frenzy with a new tie-in promotion. Like so many others, this is a “gift with purchase” thing.

The first LEGO market to make this promotional item known is the LEGO branded store in Shanghai, China. As can be seen in their promo image above, the special item is appropriately a keychain. The ornamentations are a spinner-disk fob with the Ford Mustang Logo on one side and the LEGO logo on the other.

A smaller rectangular fob is also included, it being a small metallic depiction of the LEGO VIP program membership card, with the reverse side showing where the keychain was manufactured (Zhongshan, China) plus date (December 2018). The key ring itself is a basic “circle cotter.”

While the promo item was first shown in China, it’ll be available in all markets, both LEGO stores and Shop@Home, starting March 1 to 10. All one needs to do is buy the LEGO Creator Ford Mustang (10265); that’s all. Keychain supplies will certainly sell out fast, so avid collectors will have to come early.

New LEGO City Promo on Shop@Home This Week: Choose Between 2 Polybags

Back in December last year, when LEGO began showing its latest additions to the City line for 2019 (early), we featured one polybag. It was a model for an ATV with fireman minifigure, one that fits right in with the fire-fighting theme of part of the new LEGO City sets.

While we initially surmised that the LEGO City Fire ATV (30361) was going to be conventionally available on its own, there was also the possibility that LEGO would use the polybag as part of a promo for the City lineup. The latter scenario came true with a new Shop@Home promotion.

In fact, there are two LEGO City polybags that are involved in this “free with purchase” promo for Shop@Home. The second polybag is the Road Worker (30357) which goes well with construction-themed City sets. It features the titular Road Worker minifig with radio and stoplight accessories, plus a buggy equipped with a multi-lighted roadwork sign.

 

As if it weren’t already obvious enough, this promotion entails getting one of these two LEGO City polybags free with a minimum LEGO purchase of $35. The purchase/s must be in City sets and done online in Shop@Home. Buyers need only enter a checkout code corresponding to their desired polybag.

For online checkout, the code for Road Worker (30357) is “CRW1” while the Fire ATV (30361) is “ATV1” (omit the quotes). This LEGO City promotion ends Thursday, February 28 (midnight).

Stunning LEGO MOC Vignette of Battle of Crait Praised by “Last Jedi” Director

When a LEGO product line is celebrating a milestone anniversary, the brand can be counted on to celebrate that with a wide release of new LEGO sets under that banner. And everyone who has been keeping up with LEGO-related news through us would know that LEGO Star Wars is now a couple of decades old.

But sometimes, some serious commemoration of a LEGO line seems only achievable with an MOC. Let’s consider David Hall, a LEGO builder specializing in the “Star Wars” tie-in products. Ignoring naysayers’ opinion on 2017’s “The Last Jedi,” Hall has recreated that film’s climactic action sequence, the battle on Planet Crait.

In a diorama that he says contains around 100,000 bricks and which took him a year and a half to put together, David Hall made the Resistance’s last stand against the First Order look awesome, with official LEGO Star Wars sets and minifigures fighting on a custom-built Crait’s “red-salt” surface.

Such was the intricate details and intensity of the vignette’s combat choreography that Hall’s work went viral not just with LEGO/Star Wars fans but with the showbiz industry, according to Entertainment Weekly where we get this news. It probably helps that Hall’s work caught the attention of the director of “The Last Jedi”: Rian Johnson.

Johnson may be under fire from fanatical “Star Wars” fans who felt he overdid the subverting of expectations and conventions from his movie, but he certainly appreciates any franchise follower who references his film work. In two Twitter posts the filmmaker expressed how awed he was by the Battle of Crait as interpreted by Hall.

David Hall was just as appreciative, and intimated with Rian Johnson that he too dreams of becoming a film director, with the latter as inspiration. Those are brave words of support for the director of “The Last Jedi,” argued as the most divisive “Star Wars” film in the franchise’s history.

The Battle of Crait shown in Hall’s diorama was the final death knell of the anti-First Order Resistance, which over the course of the movie went from an army to just enough people to fit in the Millennium Falcon. We’ll get to see what happens to them when “Star Wars Episode IX” premieres December 20.

LEGO Creator Expert Ford Mustang (10265) Officially Revealed

Automobile enthusiasts can rest assured that their love for cars is ably represented by LEGO. Whether it’s the small models from Speed Champions or the larger constructs of LEGO Creator or Technic, there’s no doubt both LEGO and car fandom easily go hand in hand. Earlier this month the LEGO Creator line did a major tease on the latest cool car to be made into a set. None other than Ford’s iconic muscle car the Mustang was given that honor, with the LEGO Creator Expert Ford Mustang (10265). We were pretty confident only days were left before an official reveal; we were right.

LEGO Creator Expert Ford Mustang (10265)

As of this weekend, the LEGO Creator Ford Mustang (10265) is now officially listed at LEGO Shop@Home. Those who have seen all the leaks on social media must already feel that this is one of the most awesome car sets developed by LEGO yet, but the official images just emphasized how right that is.

Colored predominantly in blue with white racing stripes (interpreted in 1,471 pieces) this Creator set is as positively beastly as the original vehicle it replicates. Even better for LEGO collectors who are dyed-in-the-wool automotive gearheads, not only does 10265 meticulously copy the internal mechanics, it’s also as customizable as many real Ford Mustangs out there.

Extra parts range from engine add-ons, additional exhaust pipes, GT bumpers, and plenty of license plate options to make you all feel sort of “Fast and Furious.” This Creator Mustang set (10265) is sure to be a hot item when it’s released on March 1. Read the official product blurb for the LEGO Creator Expert Ford Mustang (10265) right here. Expect a price of $149.99 (US).

LEGO Creator Expert Ford Mustang (10265)

Splendid LEGO Ideas Submission Worthy of 10-K Support: Auto Union Type C Racing Car by redara00

During the 1930s, four automakers in Germany joined together to form an umbrella firm that turned the constituent companies’ names into its brands. But for auto-racing enthusiasts they’ll remember the Auto Union AG – the precursor to the modern Audi Company – for their formidable race team with their distinctive silver racecars.

And that legacy is the subject of this incredible product idea that’s been submitted to the LEGO Ideas platform. As featured on motor1.com, this sweet Technic-level model of the 1936 Auto Union Type C racer came from the brilliant workmanship of Alexander Rossier (LEGO Ideas username redera00), and wonderfully built.

5884113-3A2A7206--thumbnail-full

Rossier notes that he spent around 50 hours to fully assemble his product idea. This proposed LEGO Auto Union Type C might just rival the LEGO Star Wars UCS Millennium Falcon (75192) in piece count, with some 2,300 pieces to recreate the car in 1:8-scale.

The Technic-like way this model was put together would do any LEGO set design team proud. Like a real racecar the panels can be removed to reveal the vehicle’s inner workings, all replicated to amazing detail.

From front radiator to rear gearbox, tube-shaped chassis and six wheels (2-front, 4-back), the features match up to an authentic Auto Union Type C. The race markings are period-accurate too, with the telltale four-circle Auto Union logo, now used by Audi, right in front.

As of this writing, redera00’s Auto Union Type C racer is at 1,309 of the needed 10-K supporters, with 515 days left to do so. Motor1.com is fully supportive of this set, and LEGO fans who also love auto-racing will surely love to see it become a LEGO Ideas set. Wouldn’t you like that too?

First Official LEGO Minifigure Factory Launched in Leicester Square LEGO Store

When LEGO fans first saw the special set Minifigure Factory (5005356), made to commemorate 40 years of the LEGO minifigure, some might have wondered if “making” one’s own official minifigures as shown here was possible. LEGO answered that question when it began tests of an actual Minifigure Factory, a custom printing service in the vein of their earlier Mosaic Maker.

Over eight months have passed since the LEGO Minifigure Factory was first tested in Copenhagen, Denmark, the home nation of The LEGO Group. Following this intensive trail period, the Minifigure Factory will be made available for the first time in a commercial capacity, in London’s primary LEGO Store: Leicester Square.

As Promo Bricks tells us, the LEGO branded store at Leicester Square shall be the first in the world with a Minifigure Factory for making custom minifigs. This is another “first” honor for that particular retail location, which has seen set unveilings and other events in the past. They also got the first LEGO Mosaic Maker system in the world.

lego-minifigure-factory-london1

How does the commercial version of the LEGO Minifigure Factory work? First a customer of the Leicester Square LEGO Store must buy a £10.99 Minifigure Factory Pack. This pack is canned at the Factory machine, along with the customer’s name entry, to open a minifigure design interface. They get to choose figure parts to assemble then do a custom design on the torso (only the torso for now). Lastly, they select their custom minifig’s other accessories while it’s being printed.

BricksFanz-LEGO-MFF-LSQ-WA0004-copy

 

All in all, the LEGO Minifigure Factory looks to be a popular service for the more discerning LEGO fans with extra cash to spend; after all, almost £11 for a single minifigure does sound steep even if the buyer got to customize and accessorize it. Time will tell when another Minifigure Factory unit is announced, and where in the world it might be located next.

“Adult LEGO Shopper Insights” Being Asked by LEGO Retail Design Team Via Survey

News flash: The LEGO Group needs an adult…LEGO shopper. In fact, they need a lot of grown-up LEGO shoppers and their collective recollection of experiences purchasing LEGO products in stores. The company expressed their needs well with a lengthy message on the LEGO Ambassador Network. Best we read it verbatim:

The LEGO Retail Design team is very excited to hear from adults about their shopping experiences and expectations and how we can make the experience even better! Around the world there are different types of LEGO Stores (LBR and LCS) with the goal of providing an inspiring, interactive, creative and fun experience for kids and adults alike.

Whether you visit a LEGO Store every day or have never even seen one, it is important to know what adults expect and desire from a visit. Your feedback will be considered when designing the future LEGO Store experience.

Working with adult fans of LEGO, the LEGO Retail Design team has created a short survey and with the hope that you can take a few minutes to share your thoughts. Your insights will help to make visiting a LEGO Store a truly memorable event!

Just like a LEGO creation, each person offers a different and unique perspective so, the survey is open to anyone and everyone with the hope that thousands of adults from around the world share their ideas.

Well, that said, you can access LEGO’s adult shopper survey via THIS LINK. No personal data is requested so survey-takers will remain anonymous, and for the benefit of the bourgeoning LEGO market in China, the survey also has a version in simplified Chinese. Interested takers have about a month to answer LEGO’s survey, and it’ll close March 22.

Rumor: LEGO Disney Tie-In Sets for “Frozen II” Might Arrive on Same Day as “Star Wars” Triple Force Friday Event

It feels like quite some time since we last discussed a LEGO-related rumor at length. But this piece of speculation we found on the internet might warrant a closer look. It concerns the possible releases of new LEGO sets later this year, based on two major licensed franchises under Disney.

The first part of this rumor concerns what’s been called “Triple Force Friday” according to Brick Fanatics. Apparently the expected tie-in sets for the yet-to-be-subtitled “Star Wars Episode IX” are to be released by LEGO on October 4, a Friday. That’s reasonable, considering the film’s December release. But that’s not the only LEGO line involved.

We know from an awesome teaser that was released the day before Valentine’s that the long-awaited sequel to 2013’s ear-worm animated blockbuster “Frozen” will be arriving in fall, November 22. In line with that, it’s speculated that LEGO Disney tie-in sets for “Frozen II” will come before the premiere, on October 4: the same day as the rumored LEGO Star Wars Episode IX product release.

Now we’d give our Brick Show spiel about LEGO rumors and all, but at least these rounds of speculation is sort of backed by analyses from market research company NPD Group. Their VP Juli Lennett says the toy industry will undoubtedly capitalize on the close releases of two movies from Disney, the studio itself and its Lucasfilm subsidiary. ““If history is any indication of future success,” she remarks. “Both Frozen and Star Wars will be among the top-selling properties of 2019, just as they were in 2014 and 2015/2016, respectively.”

But still: rumors and speculation, grain of salt, wait until we get an official LEGO confirmation or debunking. Until then, we have fun with it.

“Brick Fanatics Magazine” Issue 3 Now Available

You know as source of LEGO news online has graduated to a higher level of providing information and entertainment when they go into print magazine format. Brick Fanatics became such when it launched its very own 80-page magazine. They have already successfully released two issues at an average price of €8.25 each, with options for multiple-month subscriptions at lower issue-prices.

Well, Issue 3 of Brick Fanatics Magazine is out available now, and their central subject of interest is the new and extremely popular LEGO Overwatch product line. Readers and subscribers can tell that much from the front image, with LEGO-minifigure D.Va serving as cover model.

issue3500.jpg

Said cover feature on LEGO Overwatch is an interview by Brick Fanatics with two members of the LEGO development team that translated the hit Blizzard Entertainment multiplayer hero FPS into the fun LEGO sets that have enamored collectors since late-2018.

33283705898_a59534a373_b

Other components of the magazine include two pieces for their “Review+” with articles on LEGO Overwatch Bastion (75974) and LEGO Harry Potter Quidditch Match (75956). The “How To” segment offers tips and advice on multiple LEGO building/collecting topics, even including cross-news source collaboration with a contribution from Brickset, for example.

“On Topic” meanwhile features interviews with some of the participants of the LEGO AFOL Designer program announced last year, also including some sobering discussion on how BREXIT might affect the UK LEGO market and community, both Brick Fanatics‘ primary readerships. Finally, “Retro” offers a new custom build for the oldie LEGO space theme that gave rise to Lenny and friends in “LEGO Movie” and “LM2.”

Brick Fanatics Magazine issue 3 can be ordered from Brick Fanatics as either a single issue, or the first of a subscription plan in two variants, 12-month and 24-month. For now, stocks also remain of this magazine’s predecessor issues, both also available for back orders.