After so many years of being bombarded with merchandise, it was strange that not a single toy from the upcoming movie was revealed. Star Wars Celebration is like Comic-Con for the science-fantasy franchise, where all of the talent behind the upcoming movies, TV shows, comics, novels, and games make announcements about what’s coming next. So why nothing about new toys? The latest trailer is packed with new characters, sweet costumes and implausible weapons, so it’s not like they didn’t have anything to go on.While there were no toys from the upcoming movie, it’s not like there weren’t some new products from the previous movies. ThinkGeek revealed 11 new products and there were three awesome interactive toys, among others. But at a time when we’re losing our minds with excitement for what’s in the future, more toys focusing on the past just doesn’t cut it.
We asked the toy companies in attendance why they didn’t reveal any Force Awakens toys, and the one common factor was that it’s simply not time yet.
“We are so excited to share our product line for The Force Awakens when the time is right,” said a rep from Hasbro. The response from Kotobukiya was similar, “As an official licensee we are working closely with Lucasfilm to ensure our announcements are aligned within the set release schedule.”
Funko has two product lines for The Force Awakens already announced -- Pop!’s and Wacky Wobbler Bobble-Heads -- which is more than most, but they declined to reveal when they will be made available.
A spokesperson for ThinkGeek helped by adding a bit more context. “Right now, a lot of licenses are in development [for Star Wars: The Force Awakens],” he said. “We have a lot of ideas that are submitted to Lucasfilm, but Lucasfilm has most of its licenses, if not all of its licenses, under an embargo holding to a certain date before they start releasing products. Thursday was the first unveiling of the latest trailer, we got to see a little bit more, so they don’t want anybody jumping the gun before the movie can come out. While stuff is in the works, we’re not allowed to really talk about it.”But perhaps the most enlightening response came from a Gentle Giant spokesperson, who had an answer right from the source, saying, "Lucasfilm addressed this question during the Star Wars collector panel. Essentially Lucasfilm and it’s marketing team wanted to maintain what they referred to as 'The Secret Box' in which Lucasfilm will draw from and release images and information to the public in a meaningful and strategic manner, much like the buildup to the trailer that debuted at Star Wars Celebration."
This falls in line with director J.J. Abrams' penchant for secrecy. We all remember how he kept Khan’s identity a secret in the long lead-up to Star Trek Into Darkness -- despite the fact that even the most casual fans guessed it the moment Benedict Cumberbatch was cast -- so given how much information a mere toy can reveal, it’s little wonder all toys are being embargoed like the Trade Federation blockading Naboo.
As for when the toy reveal embargo will be lifted, it’s anyone’s guess. July’s San Diego Comic-Con is the next big convention where most attending companies break their big news for the year. September 4 is a big clue as it’s when all of “The Journey to the Force Awakens” books will be released -- maybe that month is when Disney/Lucasfilm will be making their big marketing push heading into the film’s December release, including toys? Until then, we've still got our Ugnaughts.A representative from LEGO did not respond to inquiries by the time of press. Joshua is IGN’s Comics Editor. If Game of Thrones, Green Lantern, or Super Smash Bros. are frequently used words in your vocabulary, you’ll want to follow him on Twitter and IGN.