Funko has revealed the latest in their inimitable brand of pop culture figures with a Deluxe Pop! figurine of Darth Vader flying his distinctive TIE Fighter. The toy manufacturer has turned its cutesy style on several big blockbusters this year, unveiling confusingly adorable Pop! figures of the alien Neomorph from Ridley Scott's Alien: Covenant, as well as variants of Diana Prince from Patty Jenkins' highly anticipated Wonder Woman.
Funko joined in this year's celebrations of the Star Wars 40th anniversary by releasing a celebratory line of Pop Vinyls looking back through the saga's history, and now the company has unveiled a brand new Deluxe collectable that goes back to one of the most iconic moments in the franchise.
This new Deluxe Pop! Darth Vader figure features the experimental TIE Fighter that the Sith Lord flies in the climactic battle over the Death Star in A New Hope. It also features a uniquely textured stand reminiscent of the curvature of the Death Star itself. The new figure is due to release in mid-June. Take a look at Funko's latest piece of Star Wars merchandise below:
Funko has used its pop culture licenses to make unique collectables, and since 2012 has almost doubled its revenue from movie and comic book merchandise. The company now reportedly makes in the range of $28 million for its Pop! figures alone. The lovable brand has gone from strength to strength as Funko has gained licenses for everything from DreamWorks to WWE, allowing the company to tap into a broad cross-section of sub-cultures. But Star Wars has remained the gold-standard for merchandising opportunities since the series began in 1977, and Funko has recognized that with a range of 60+ individual Pop! Vinyl figures dedicated to the galaxy far, far away.
The toy manufacturer has already built on its existing crop of Star Wars merchandise this year, and while the Deluxe Darth Vader figure will be instantly recognizable to fans and casual viewers alike, Funko has created some more niche figurines for dedicated fans. They tapped into the enormously popular animation Star Wars: Rebels with a range of Dark Side Pop! characters from the show, and the aforementioned 40th anniversary line featured a rendering of the show's grumpy astromech Chopper. It also showcased a holographic Qui-Gon Jinn and a platinum white Boba Fett bobblehead for a flashy twist on these iconic characters. This throwback Darth Vader figurine is just another example of how Star Wars nostalgia is at an all-time high in 2017.
Yet everyone from the new canonical works is also getting the Funko treatment, from exiled Luke Skywalker to fan-favorite Bodhi Rook of Rogue One. 2017 isn't merely the year of A New Hope nostalgia, it's the year of The Last Jedi hype - and Funko is bound to be at the forefront of that when the eighth installment in the Star Wars saga rolls into theaters this winter.
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Source: Funko
