I can't say that I was surprised by the Dengar reissue announcement. That rumor had been kicking around for quite a while, so seeing it finally come to fruition settles that bit. Not everything can be an all-new release, although I think the Snowtrooper Commander double dip is more a matter of WHEN rather than IF.
It was great having Paul Sun-Hyung Lee take part in the livestream to reveal the Carson Teva figure. He's an asset to the franchise, and I've really enjoyed his character in the Mandoverse. I think the choice to make him with his leather jacket is a cool way to change things up for an X-Wing pilot. And if the reception for the figure is really good? Perhaps Hasbro will offer an alternate version without the jacket as a pack-in figure in the event that they release a Carson Teva X-Wing.
The Agent Kallus announcement was really nice to see, too. In light of just how many REBELS character slots were on the Yakface Rumor List, I had a feeling that Kallus could be on the way. But seeing an actual announcement is that much better. The likeness looks like a great realistic interpretation of an animated character.
I'm also happy to see what Hasbro did with the Landspeeder. It looks like a substantial update from the previous release. And the inclusion of that Deluxe Luke Skywalker with the additional Tatooine gear makes sense. The VC344A designation is fine by me, as is the deluxe cardback. I for one don't mind the larger cardback as much as some in the community have made a stink about it. The cardback art is nice, too. The one puzzling bit here? If Hasbro is going to reveal something like the Landspeeder's box art, then they should be prepared to also announce the figures featured in that art - like the new Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Asajj Ventress was a complete surprise to me, and a very welcome one! She's been on my March Madness Top 25 lists for the past 3 years, and I voted for her in the March Madness final. I was disappointed this morning when I saw that Mara Jade had won the 2025 SWTVC March Madness Final, but then this announcement made it clear to me that Asajj Ventress had actually won! The lack of the cloak is disappointing, but it's not a dealbreaker for me.
As for how new figure announcements might line up with a major fan poll? The March Madness bracket was announced at the end of February, and three characters that were in the bracket were announced today - Asajj Ventress, Carson Teva and Agent Kallus. Does anyone think that Hasbro should consider working with fan groups like SWTVC so that a slot in their TVC bracket tournament might be opened up on account of a figure being announced within the next calendar month? I think it's worth considering. I don't know what characters got those #65, 66 and 67 slots in the nomination process. But the ripple effects on the bracket might have been considerable.
