The TPM vehicles are in the packaging with Darth Maul on the box. With two different packaging looks, I think you want to put vehicles from Episode I in a package with that Episode I theme. That's the Maul box. And in the years to come IF we see theatrical 3D releases of the rest of the PT and OT, I think it's a fair bet that vehicles from that year's movie will be in movie themed packaging, and not a more general package design.
Nick - using your logic, wouldn't Hasbro want to put figures from the Phantom Menace on card-backs with Darth Maul on the card?
So why did the Movie Heroes line launch with EP3 Shocktrooper, Darth Vader, Super Battle Droid, General Grievous, a ROTS Clonetrooper w/a Jetpack, a re-release of a horrible EP3 Yoda, an AOTC Red Battledroid, a re-release of the "Geonosis Battle" Destroyer Droid and a re-release of EP3 Electronic Lights & Sounds R2-D2?
And to make matters worse, the remaining four figures, which were TPM specific - EP1 Battledroid, Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Darth Maul were all represented in the Vintage line.
Let's just run through the Movie Heroes / TPM 3-D line and see how much product is on those Darth Maul cards & boxes. I've added an
EPISODE I tag to EVERY Episode I themed item in the line:
MOVIE HEROES BASIC FIGURESWAVE 1___ MH01 - Shock Trooper
___ MH02 - Super Battle Droid
___ MH03 - R2-D2
EPISODE I___ MH04 - Battle Droid (TPM version)
EPISODE I___ MH04 - Battle Droid (AOTC version)
___ MH05 - Darth Maul
EPISODE I___ MH06 - Darth Vader
___ MH07 - General Grievous
___ MH08 - Obi-Wan Kenobi (Episode I)
EPISODE I___ MH09 - Yoda
EPISODE I___ MH10 - Qui-Gon Jinn
EPISODE I___ MH11 - Clone Trooper (Episode III Jet pack)
___ MH12 - Destroyer Droid
EPISODE IWAVE 2___ MH13 - Jar Jar Binks
EPISODE I___ MH14 - Anakin Skywalker (Pod Racer)
EPISODE I___ MH15 - Darth Maul (Spinning Action)
EPISODE I___ MH16 - Obi-Wan Kenobi (light-up lightsaber)
EPISODE I___ MH17 - Padmé Amidala
EPISODE I___ MH18 - Qui-Gon Jinn (light-up lightsaber)
EPISODE IWAVE 3___ MHtbd - Anakin Skywalker (light-up lightsaber)
___ MHtbd - Boba Fett
___ MHtbd - Darth Vader (light-up lightsaber)
___ MHtbd - Imperial Sandtrooper
___ MHtbd - Luke Skywalker (light-up lightsaber)
EXCLUSIVE FIGURES2012 DISCOVER THE FORCE -
WALMART EXCLUSIVE ___ DTF01 - Aurra Sing
EPISODE I___ DTF02 - Darth Maul
EPISODE I___ DTF03 - Destroyer Droid
EPISODE I___ DTF04 - G8-R3
EPISODE I___ DTF05 - Gungan Warrior
EPISODE I___ DTF06 - Mawhonic
EPISODE I___ DTF07 - Obi-Wan Kenobi
EPISODE I___ DTF08 - Qui-Gon Jinn
EPISODE I___ DTF09 - Ric Olie
EPISODE I___ DTF10 - Naboo Pilot
EPISODE I___ DTF11 - Tusken Raider
EPISODE I___ DTF12 - Yoda
EPISODE I
MULTIPACKSSITH 2-PACKS TARGET EXCLUSIVE___ EMERGENCE OF THE SITH - w/ Darth Sidious & Darth Maul
EPISODE I___ RISE OF DARTH VADER - w/ Anakin Skywalker & Darth Vader
EPISODE IBATTLE PACKS___ GEONOSIS ARENA BATTLES - w/ Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jango Fett & Battle Droid
___ REPUBLIC CLONE TROOPERS - w/ Bomb Disposal Clone Trooper, Clone Trooper Hardcase & Clone Trooper Cutup
___ REBEL HEROES - w/ Han Solo, Chewbacca & C-3PO
___ BESPIN BATTLE - w/ Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker & Boba Fett
___ DUEL ON NABOO - w/ Darth Maul, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Qui-Gon Jinn
EPISODE IEXCLUSIVE BATTLE PACKS___ POD RACER PILOTS - w/ Mars Guo, Gasgano, Boles Roor, Clegg Holdfast & Teemto Pagalies
EPISODE I___ MOS ESPA ARENA - w/ C-3PO, Anakin Skywalker, Sebulba and two Pit Droids & flags
EPISODE I___ ROYAL STARSHIP DROIDS - w/ R2-B1, R2-D2, R2-N3 and R2-R9
EPISODE I___ DARTH MAUL RETURNS - w/ Darth Maul, Nightsister & Savage Opress
CLASS I VEHICLES___ Sith Speeder with Darth Maul
EPISODE I___ Naboo Royal Fighter with Obi-Wan Kenobi
EPISODE I___ BARC Speeder with Clone Trooper
___ STAP with Battle Droid
EPISODE I___ Republic Assault Submarine with SCUBA Clone Trooper
___ Attack Recon Fighter with Anakin Skywalker
___ Republic Attack Dropship with Clone Pilot
CLASS II ATTACK VEHICLESWAVE 1___ Anakin Skywalker's Pod Racer
EPISODE I___ Sebulba's Pod Racer
EPISODE I___ Sith Infiltrator
EPISODE I___ Armored Assault Tank (AAT)
EPISODE IWAVE 2___ Republic Fighter Tank
___ Anakin's Jedi Starfighter (Delta II)
___ Naboo Starfighter
EPISODE ICLASS II ATTACK VEHICLES - EXCLUSIVES___ Trade Federation Droid Starfighter
EPISODE I___ Dewback
EPISODE ILARGE VEHICLES - EXCLUSIVES___ AT-ST
The MAJORITY of the Movie Heroes offerings have SOME sort of Episode I connection or appeared in that movie in some way, shape or form. As for everything that falls outside that realm, what do you propose that Hasbro do? Launch ANOTHER line look?
Out of the currently announced 23 Movie Heroes figures, 13 of those characters appear in
THE PHANTOM MENACE. And ALL of the characters in the WalMart exclusive Discover the Force line (which has the same line look at Movie Heroes) are from
THE PHANTOM MENACE, too.
As for the crossover between some of the TVC, DTF and MH lines, guess what? They're CORE CHARACTERS. Plus, there have been countless thousands upon thousands of forum posts over the years with collectors either asking for characters like Qui-Gon on a Vintage style card, or showing collector mockups of a PT character on a Vintage card. THAT is why you have Qui-Gon, Darth Maul, Obi-Wan and Battle Droids on TVC cards, too.
Nobody is disputing that Hasbro has put out far too many Jedi Starfighters. But guess what? There's only one that's been announceed in THIS line, and only one that's been offered in the TVC line. It will take time for old inventory to sell through. But Hasbro's vehicle strategy seems rather clear, too: Use existing tools for the bulk of the line, with SOME retooling (the AAT), and SOME repainting (Republic Fighter Tank, Vulture Droid), and perhaps ONE new vehicle (Naboo starfighter).
As for the topic of THIS thread? We're just going to have to wait and see what happens with the Mandalorian Shuttle. It's a new tool. And the storyline of CW season 5 may give it a second chance at life on the shelves.