Tuesday, September 26, 2023

Hasbro puts your face on a Power Ranger (or Black Panther or Spider-Man) for $60

Must read

Shreya Christinahttps://cafe-madrid.com
Shreya has been with cafe-madrid.com for 3 years, writing copy for client websites, blog posts, EDMs and other mediums to engage readers and encourage action. By collaborating with clients, our SEO manager and the wider cafe-madrid.com team, Shreya seeks to understand an audience before creating memorable, persuasive copy.

Always wanted to have an action figure of your own? It has been possible for the lucky few: movie stars; occasional contest winner; and those who might be satisfied with a novelty gift rather than the real thing. But today Hasbro announces that practically anyone can put their face on a fully adjustable, licensed and highly detailed Power Ranger, Ghostbuster, GI Joe, Star Warsor Marvel figure this fall – thanks to a collaboration with Formlabs to scan and 3D print your head before applying it to an iconic action figure body.


The faces look fantastic.
GIF by Sean Hollister / The Verge

(Well, everyone in the United States, that is – it’s limited to the US, with no plans to expand at this time.)

A few custom Ghostbusters figures.
Image: Hasbro

“The process is simple: fans download the Hasbro Pulse mobile app (16+) available on Android and iOS, log in to their Hasbro Selfie Series account, scan their face, adjust their character and hairstyle, sit back and wait for their adapted action figure to get to their doorstep,” reads the press release. The result is called the Hasbro Selfie series; each figure will be $59.99 (plus tax) when the service arrives this fall.

You can create a Red Ranger or a Pink Ranger; hopefully the other colors will become a reality at launch.
Image: Hasbro

Most of the figures you can make are pretty obvious choices – after all, anyone can sit under that Stormtrooper or GI Joe Snake Eyes helmet, the Spider-Verse has plenty of room, and both Black Panther and Black Widow are canonically transferable roles . But it’s intriguing to see that Hasbro also lets you include Carrie Fisher’s Princess Leia and also lets you supplant Pedro Pascal’s The Mandalorian.

You can’t fool us with those generic titles “Rebel Princess” and “Mandalorian Warrior”, Hasbro! We know them well.
Screenshot by Sean Hollister / The Verge

Here are a few pictures of how the custom heads are made. They appear to have been pressed into two separate parts (head and hair) before presumably being painted and finished in some other way. 3D printing will only get you so far. You can see more of the process in the video at the top of this post.

A bank of Formlabs printers that make heads for the figures.
Image: Formlabs

Don’t worry, those gruesome faceless locks under the hair are just support material that is trimmed away after printing.
Image: Formlabs

For now, Hasbro only has a vague “Let me know” page if you’re interested, but it should open registrations this fall. Also, “a select few fans” at San Diego Comic-Con will get an early chance to scan their faces and get their figures first, though those also won’t ship until the fall, too.

More articles

Latest article

Contents