If you’re a stickler for details and accuracy, don’t assume that making your own cosplay props and costumes is cheaper than buying a replica. Often it can cost thousands of dollars to get it right, so Hasbro and Marvel are teaming up on a line of detailed role play accessories that will make accurate cosplay slightly more affordable.
The new Marvel Legends role play items won’t hit stores until sometime in spring later this year, though Australian availability has not be confirmed. So best case scenario, they will arrive too late for Supanova but might be just in time for your next Halloween costume. Sure, Halloween isn’t so much a thing in Australia, but wouldn’t you take any excuse to play with these?
For $US100 ($141) there is a surprising amount of detail, especially on the inside, packed into this full-sized Iron Man helmet featuring a removable face plate — but there are some compromises that help keep it affordable. While the helmet does use three AAA batteries to power light-up features and sound effects, it isn’t animated in any way. So you’ll still need plenty of imagination to pretend you’re Iron Man, but isn’t that what cosplay is all about?
For those who feel they can pull off a Steve Rogers costume better than a Tony Stark, the Marvel Legends Captain America shield will also be available for just $US100 ($141), and at 61cm across it’s the exact same size as the shield used in the current crop of Marvel movies.
Its perfect faux-metal finish makes it seem like it could stop anything, but the shield’s not actually made from a vibranium-steel alloy, so you won’t want to try to shield yourself from a bullet or knife attack with it. It does, however, come with adjustable straps so you can wield it just like the Cap’ does. And while it’s just a recreation, it’s probably still not advisable to try throwing it like a giant frisbee.
[Hasbro]