Ryan Reynold's Deadpool made his Marvel Legends debut in 2020 as part of that year's batch of Fox X-Men movie figures, packed with Negasonic Teenage Warhead in a 2-pack. As we headed into 2021, it was announced that a stand-alone version of the Deadpool Legends figure was to be released as an Amazon exclusive. The figure began shipping, sporadically, between March and May 2021 around the globe.
The packaging uses the same format as the 2020 releases, with a square box rather than the usual scooped-sided Legends packaging. The Legends logo sits top left, with the character name and Deadpool logo on the bottom rail of the box-front. The box is designed to look like it has been defaced by Deadpool himself with stickers and scribbles, including crossing out 'Wade Wilson' and writing Deadpool instead.
The side artwork is a silhouette image of Deadpool with the eyes and one of his Katanas picked out in white. the same image is repeated on the back of the box - and unlike other Legends, there is no background information or text. The figure is presented against a burning flame and ember card-back.
While the figure is not specifically listed as a Deadpool 2 figure, the grey "dusty" costume is certainly based on the final act of Deadpool 2 when Deadpool and his X-Force are facing off against Juggernaut and Julian Dennison's Firefist. The darker red is more a result of burns from Firefist. Other than the decor, the figure is identical to the first release, and that means some details we might expect like the duct-taped injuries are missing. The proportions and sculpt of the mask, body, and the various belts and straps are excellent and a very good recreation of the on-screen Merc with the Mouth.
Like the 2-pack, the Exclusive is packed with accessories, and the same accessories to boot although the Unicorn has been dropped. We start with the bladed weapons, and these include a knife with a black handle and a silver blade that slots into either hand or a holster on Deadpool's left leg. The swords are executed in a similar way and are a good shape and length with a silver blade and black grip handle. Again the gripping hands hold them well and when not in use they slot into the crossed sheaths on Deadpool's back.
The guns were one of the few frustrations with the original figure, and nothing has changed with this new version. Essentially Deadpool comes with a pair of sculpted pistols in the holsters on his waist. These are individual pieces, and not part of the sculpt, yet are fixed in place. You then get a second pair of guns with an odd extra piece to the barrel that Deadpool then uses. This of course looks particularly odd when Deadpool is wielding his handguns while they also sit in the holsters on his belt? While I am not brave enough to tackle this myself, I believe with a bit of work the holstered guns can be removed and the whole kit converted to a working set of holsters - this is how it should have been to start with.
To support the weapons, Deadpool comes with two pairs of gripping hands. One set is shaped for the knife and swords, while the second pair includes a wider grip and trigger finger for the guns.
You also get two other pairs of hands in the set. An open pair that are brilliantly expressive when held up to the mouth for example. You also get a pair of clenched fists for hand-to-hand combat poses.
Deadpool is uber-articulated with 22 points of articulation in total. The legs include double jointed knees and this allows Deadpool to kneel, sit or take up more dynamic martial arts posing or leaping / jumping poses with a suitable after-market stand. The arms also feature double joints at the elbows and we also get a pair of shoulder butterfly joints which allows the arms to be brought in further to the body. The main trunk of the body includes a rotating waist, T-Joint torso, and a neck that is jointed at the base and where it meets the head.
Like the original figure, all of the joints come together for some very iconic Deadpool poses such as drawing his sword, firing his guns straight out in front of him, or even sniffing the gun smoke from the two barrels. Every joint is secure and tight and Deadpool holds poses very well.
I suspect many fans would have been happier if the original Deadpool in the standard red had been repacked into this Amazon Exclusive. The decision to make the X-Force / Deadpool 2 / Dusty / Burned Deadpool was a good one but it did need some adjustments really and the addition of those duct-taped injuries - which would have looked pretty cool. The other issue is the guns and I still can't fathom why a working holster was sculpted, handguns were sculpted, and then the handguns glued into the holsters while a 2nd pair of ugly handguns are then included in the set?
This aside, Deadpool remains a very good looking and extremely well-executed figure in the Marvel Legends line and now he is here he poses really well in a standalone display, with the other X-Men figures or indeed with the rest of the MCU - which is where we want to see him in the long run.
Deadpool is still available at Amazon if you want to add this to your collection (affiliate link)
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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...
action figures, reviews, review, articulation, marvel, legends, hasbro, deadpool. wade wilson, deadpool 2, cable, amazon, exclusive