Review: Manipple Studios after-market 'sleeveless' custom kit for the Hasbro Marvel Legends Wolverine
- Mephitsu
- 4 minutes ago
- 3 min read
"For the first time in my life, I'm proud to wear this suit. It means I'm an X-Man. I'm the X-Man."
Following the release of Deadpool & Wolverine in 2024, Hasbro’s Marvel Legends line released three figures from the movie, including both of the title characters. Wolverine was released in his full X-Men suit, and while reflective of the start of the movie, it didn’t replicate the sleeveless look we see as the movie progresses. While many expected (and still expect) Hasbro to release that version, there was an immediate response in the third-party market, filling that gap courtesy of Manipple Studios.
Manipple has put together a pair of sleeveless arms that are designed and produced as a direct ‘off the shelf’ fit for your Hasbro Wolverine figure. They are predominantly being sold through the Aliexpress marketplace with what appears to be a significant demand with the couple of sellers offering this kit, often working under an advance pre-order (be warned, despite the wording, you are likely to be charged at the point you order). When your kit does arrive it is packed into a small brown box with the arms in individual baggies along with what I assume to be a safety/packing notice, all in Chinese.
You will need a Hasbro Wolverine to use with your new Manipple arms, and that will need dismantling at the shoulders. The easiest way to achieve this is to submerge the top half of the figure in a cup or jug of boiling water for a few minutes. This softens the plastic and allows the arms to be popped out of the joint. Please do this with care, particularly being mindful of the hot water and potential scalding injuries. Any kids reading this, please get an adult to help. It is also worth noting that we take no responsibility for any damage to your Wolverine figure. We are simply replaying how we made this change to our figure.
With the arms out, the main arms are sat inside a black circular shoulder piece which needs to be separated too. The new Manipple arms then slot into these black collars, and then they slot snugly back into the Wolverine torso, preferably while the plastic remains warm and pliable.
The Manipple arms do not come with hands, so the Hasbro hands are inserted into the sleeve, and again, the fit is slick and perfectly engineered for either the claws-out or claws-retracted versions. The arms include the same pinless articulation as the main figure, and are robust in their joints, giving both a wide range of posing positions but also articulated securely to hold these positions with evident ratchets at the shoulders in particular.
This is the first aftermarket custom I’ve bought that is a seamless fit and colour match to a figure, and while you do pay a premium for this (prices vary between £10 and £20 a set) the finished article is as good as a Hasbro Marvel Legends release and does not look out of place displayed alongside your other MCU or Marvel Comicbook figures.
Keep Track of all the Marvel Legends figures from Hasbro at our comprehensive
If you are reading this via a 3rd party website that is importing our newsfeed, please come and visit us directly and give us a follow on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Check out our direct news feed for more action figure news, reviews, and store reports
About Me : As a child of the 70's and 80's I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force) and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licences - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...