It's got to be because the Marvel Cinematic Universe has brought this all into the mainstream since the movies have been wildly successful.  The new issue of EW has an Avengers - Age of Ultron cover story, and that movie doesn't come out for another 10 months!  That article touted the box office for the MCU as being somewhere in the neighborhood of $6 billion.  So while Marvel Comics may go in different directions story-wise, news about those characters that are part of the MCU can mean big business.

JJ Abrams was on GMA this morning.  In front of something pretty f***king cool.

A number of these things do seem like blatant marketing gimmicks.  But then the landscape for SO MUCH media has changed over the last 10 years.  It is so difficult to grab the attention of an audience, let alone maintain it.  I think Marvel is proactively trying to engage the audience with these changes.  They've done big things like this before, like when they launched the Ultimates Universe.  And you know what?  The Thor news was such a big deal that it made the papers and major news casts.  I think the marketing execs would take that as a WIN in their book.

And comics fans are well aware that this isn't the first time we've seen Marvel do things like this with their iconic characters.  Steve Rogers has handed off the Cap mantle before.  I remember when he got fired as Captain America, and was replaced by the guy who would later become the US Agent.  Then there was the assassination of Cap, too.  Plus, the powers of Thor have been passed on to Beta Ray Bill, as well as the Thor Frog before.  So why not a woman now?  Those things alone show us that the characters aren't necessarily sacred even to Marvel.  And at some point they'll probably come around with the re-birth or re-launch of the classic character as everyone knows them.

I think they're bundling the REBELS figures and SAGA LEGENDS together in the same line in order to minimize/simplify the number of lines that are shipping to retail.  That way the retailers are only ordering TWO 3.75" basic figures lines:  The Black Series and REBELS/SAGA LEGENDS.

YODAS NEWS has posted some loose and carded images of several REBELS and SAGA LEGENDS Basic Figures.  Some figure numbers are discernible in the carded images, while others are questionable:

___  SL01 - Stormtrooper
___  SL02 - Ezra Bridger
___  SL03 - The Inquisitor
___  SL04 - Kanan Jarrus
___  SL05 - Agent Kallus
___  SL06 - C1-10P (Chopper)
___  SL07 - Jango Fett  (EPISODE II - Attack Of The Clones)
___  SL08 - Clone Trooper (EPISODE II - Attack Of The Clones)
___  SL09 - Darth Vader  (EPISODE V - The Empire Strikes Back)
___  SL10 - Luke Skywalker (EPISODE VI - Return of The Jedi)
___  SL11 - Obi-Wan Kenobi (The Clone Wars)
___  SL12 - Snowtrooper (EPISODE V - The Empire Strikes Back)

Quote from: Jeff on July 14, 2014, 12:11 AM

So... where's Han Solo at?  Not seeing the rumored Hoth Han re-do in these new rumor lists.

First one

I'm not holding my breath.

Kallus seems like he's going to be the prominent Imperial player in the series.  I'm glad to see that he's part of the Imperial Security Bureau.  It's something that's been somewhat glossed over in the movies, despite seeing Yularen and other ISB officers on the Death Star in A NEW HOPE.  The mutton chops are a little odd though, since the only Imperial Officers I can think of that had ANY facial hair were Yularen and Ozzel.  And they had pretty neatly groomed moustaches.

The actor playing Kallus is pretty cool, too.  He's played some decent parts like in Red Tails and Rise of the Planet of the Apes.  And truth be told, I'm surprised to see that some actors who aren't traditionally voice actors are taking on roles in the series.  Freddie Prinze Jr., David Oyelowo and now it seems Jason Isaacs as the Inquisitor (The Patriot, the Harry Potter series) are all actors with significant on screen credits, but they seem interested in taking part in REBELS.  It makes me hopeful for this new series.

I'll be taking a wait and see stance.  I'm in the midst of trying to get my collection room as well as the whole collection somewhat under control and organized.  The thought of adding a whole new trilogy worth of toys to that?  OMG.  It starts to get a little overwhelming.

I might start to get more excited for the Sequel Trilogy and spinoff movies as the filmmakers start to reveal more.  But I think I have to be far more judicious about how I spend than I was during to PT movie days.