Definitely glad about Merumeru finally getting confirmed.  Finding someone from ROTS to take that place on my own top ten list is going to take some thought.  But I'm definitely down with getting behind a Tarfful resculpt now.

When asked  they've said outright that no more The Old Republic figures are planned. 

There have been blanket denials like this before, but with Hasbro eventually releasing the characters in question.

When did we get an Exar Kun figure?

It was part of that exclusive wave of comic 2-packs that wound up at Entertainment Earth.  Exar Kun was packed with Ulic Qel Droma.

Yes, but with Nolan on board as one of the producers & writers of Man of Steel, you've got to think that there's a possibility for linkage between the two story lines.

It wasn't too long ago that people were railing against Affleck for his role as Matt Murdock / Daredevil in the movie of the same name.  Granted, that was 10 years ago.  And I think that Ben Affleck has grown tremendously over the last decade by making some great choices as both an actor and a director.  Considering projects like Argo and The Town, I think that Ben Affleck has really grown.  Will he be the right fit for this project?  Will he be able to escape the shadow of his phony intensity that plagued Daredevil?  That remains to be seen.

For me, the question is whether the new film will attempt to pick up where The Dark Knight Rises left off.  Given the lengths that Marvel has gone to create a cohesive universe, will DC/Warner Brothers attempt to do the same and try to build some continuity between the Bale/Nolan trilogy and this new project?  I'd like to see that, because frankly I'm getting a little tired of the constant rebooting we're seeing with so many properties.  And I think the audience is, too.

I finally saw the Luke figure in a store yesterday.  This was actually my first sighting of any of the 6" figures thus far.  However, it was in a TRU store that prices their stock higher than other stores.  I was absolutely not going to pay $22.99 for a single figure.

The level of detail, however, was amazing.  Seeing really is believing when you finally see these figures in person.  The packaging looks cool, too.  Still, I'd like to see the other figures in person before pulling the trigger.  $80 for a wave of 4 figures is pricey.

LEGO has done nothing but grow over the years.  Their foray into the world of licensed merchandise has definitely been successful since they've been able to take on properties like Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and others with seeming ease.  And the fact that kids learn by playing with LEGO will continue to make it an attractive option for parents.

As for Hasbro & Star Wars?  I think we're in the middle of a transitional period.  Clearly, the 6" figure line is something that makes the Star Wars license much more competitive with other intellectual properties.  Just looking around the boys toys aisle, a good majority of the movie properties out there are primarily focused on 6" figure lines.  Marvel & DC Comics, NECA, McFarlane and others are focused on that 6" scale.  Because that's what collectors want.  The new 6" Star Wars line opens things up on that front.  And thus far, I've only been able to find a single 6" Star Wars Black Series figure at retail.  Initial indications are that the line is selling well.  Will that continue?  We'll see.

As for the 3.75" line?  Again, it's a wait and see game.  Will lower articulation figure outsell the premium articulation figures?  And will 6" outsell the 3.75" line?  These are things that Hasbro is going to be studying closely in advance of the Episode VII toy line launch of Spring 2015.  And no doubt those sales figures are going to shape what comes to market when the Episode VII line is unveiled.