Save me, Spiderman... Or send Hasbro. The Rhode Island-based toy legend jumped 10% Tuesday after its 2nd quarter earnings. It announced it's shifting some of its toy production to India and Vietnam to avoid tariffs — it aims to reduce the amount made in China from 67% to 50%. But let's talk about its toy collection.
Hasbro's, like, a HUGE Marvel fan... For over 10 years, it's been the exclusive toymaker of Marvel superheroes. The 23 movies made since '08 have helped fill the piggy bank. Now that Avengers: Endgame happened, Marvel has announced "Phase 4" of its superhero content, tailored for Disney+ (which launches in November). Here's a preview of what Hasbro will turn into toys:
- Black Widow, a spy/assassin film with Scarlett Johansson.
- The Eternals, a movie with Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek about a (wait for it) alien race that protects Earth from annihilation.
- Blade, with Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali as a sunglass-loving vampire hunter.
Hasbro doesn't just borrow Disney's characters... It's expected to extend its Disney deal that includes all Star Wars and Marvel toys (expiring in 2020). But licensing other companies' characters is only 22% of Hasbro's revenue. Its OG characters are actually doing better — franchise sales rose 14% last quarter compared to just 3% for licensed. Give some extra allowance to Play-Doh, Transformers, My Little Pony, and Magic The Gathering.