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Disney Denies Shortage of ‘Black Panther’ Merchandise

Posted byBy Kiersten Willis | Published on: CommentsComments (0)
Black Panther toy

Black Panther Toy (AFP/Getty Images)

 

Despite reports to the contrary, Disney is denying there is a shortage of “Black Panther” toys. Reports emerged on Sunday that the company could not keep up with the demand for merchandise featuring the characters of T’Challa, Okoye and the like. But now the president of a toy review website is backtracking on his initial statement.

“Hasbro often comes out with new items with a video release,” said Jim Silver, president of TTPM, told The New York Post Sunday, April 8, adding “the toy industry underestimated ‘Black Panther.’”

But a day later, he told Fox Business that toy shortage reports are unfounded.

And a spokesperson at Disney, which had a source tell The Post that “a second wave of product coming in the next few months,” backed up that claim.

“The product line celebrating Black Panther is the largest ever for a Marvel origin film, including expanded categories, such as performance wear and high-fashion collaborations,” the representative told Atlanta Black Star. “We are thrilled that fans around the world are celebrating this incredible story through merchandise. We anticipated demand would be strong, but it is exceeding even our highest expectations.”

The spokesperson added to Fox Business that the first round of products produced for “Black Panther” outnumber the categories the first “Captain America” or “Iron Man” films.

BP toys

(AFP/Getty Images)

This follows ‘The Post’s’ report that Hasbro won’t have new toys available to accompany the film’s DVD release in May. And trouble finding the toys began even earlier. Just three weeks after the movie’s Friday, Feb. 16 premiere, the six-inch action figures started selling out and sales of the 12-inch figures were limited to five per customer, according to BMO Securities.

“We’ve got three factories in China working overtime to get 300,000 items out as fast as possible,” Jay Foreman, CEO of Basic Fun told the newspaper. “We are scheduling the product to ship on the fastest container ships to help make it in time.”

As of Sunday, NY Post reported there had been just one the six-inch, $10 action figure of villain Erik Killmonger available for Prime members and on April 10, just one 12-inch titan hero series figure of Black Panther was available.

Although other toys are still available for purchase on the e-commerce store’s website, parents have shown their dismay over the few brick-and-mortar store options for “Black Panther” trinkets.

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