Hasbro Star Wars Team Talks 'Rogue One' and More in Fansite Q&A

By: Dominic Jones

Earlier today, I had the pleasure of joining many of my colleagues from other Star Wars fansites, including Jedi News, Jedi Defender, Yak Face, and Star Wars Action News, on a Google Hangout with members of the Hasbro Star Wars team.  The Hasbro team answered many of the questions we had regarding the upcoming Rogue One product and other Star Wars toys in general.  Here's a breakdown of some of the key points from the Q&A,

• There is no Imperial Hovertank vehicle in the works
• The 3.75" scale Black Series is still a Wal Mart exclusive
• Retailer exclusive announcements are coming next week
• There will be a 3.75" scale and 6" scale fan vote next year
• There are no current plans for Star Wars comics packs, though the team is always exploring creating action figures of characters from the comics and other Star Wars media
• In terms of improved distribution for the Rogue One product: the team was able to start working on Rogue One earlier (compared to when they started on The Force Awakens), they are working with retailers to ensure product is being replaced on the shelf in a timely manner, and they are working to improve their case packs to avoid "peg warmers"
• Expect The Force Awakens Luke and Leia in both scales late next year.
• Hasbro has some cool plans for the 40th anniversary of Star Wars next year 

I also asked how the secrecy surrounding Rogue One compared to the secrecy surrounding The Force Awakens.  They said it's a bit more lax than it was when JJ Abrams was involved, though they still want the reveals to be made on screen and not through toy leaks.  And, as they pointed out, Lucasfilm has been more forthcoming with Rogue One previews than they were with The Force Awakens.  They also said that they didn't expect the secrecy to ever be as tight as it was with The Force Awakens, because the look of the characters isn't a huge secret anymore.

Hasbro held a second Q&A with other members of the fansite community, including Corey from MakingStarWars.net, and there were a few other tidbits revealed.

• Thrawn should be released in the Rebels 3.75″ line when he makes his appearance in the show.
• A Celebration Orlando exclusive is planned, but no word yet if it’ll be in the 6″ or 3.75″ scale.

Big thanks to the Hasbro Star Wars team for answering our questions and to the PR team for organizing this Q&A!

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