As the Hasbro Marvel Legends Giant Man HasLab campaign enters its final two weeks, there is an air of uncertainty looming. The campaign has yet to reach its minimum backer goal of 10,000 supporters, sparking debates and speculations among collectors. With the memory of last year’s failed Marvel Ghost Rider Engine Of Vengeance campaign still fresh, the fandom is understandably cautious.
While I can’t predict the future any better than I can pick this week’s winning lottery numbers, the current numbers suggest that this year’s campaign is facing challenges. Some may argue that we saw a similar situation in 2021 with the Marvel Legends Galactus HasLab campaign, which only met its minimum funding goal in its final week. However, there are significant differences between the two campaigns that make me less optimistic about Giant Man’s prospects.
Price and Backer Requirements
One key difference between Galactus and Giant Man is the price point. Galactus was a significantly more expensive endeavour, with a backing cost of £399.99, while Giant Man comes in at a more affordable £199.99. Additionally, Giant Man requires fewer backers to move forward, with a minimum goal of 10,000 supporters, compared to Galactus’s 14,000. In theory, a cheaper campaign with a lower backer requirement should fund faster, but this hasn’t been the case.
Galactus’s Path to Funding
While Galactus did take some time to meet its minimum goal, it gained more backers at a faster rate than Giant Man. For context, the Marvel Legends Sentinel HasLab campaign from 2020, a true army builder figure, reached its minimum funding goal in just over 24 hours.
On August 5, 2021, Galactus had 10,719 backers out of the needed 14,000, with only one stretch goal revealed—the Frankie Raye Nova figure. With 25 days left, it required just 3,281 more backers and had three more stretch goals to unveil.
Currently, Giant Man, with all its stretch goals revealed, sits at 7,691 backers out of the minimum 10,000 needed. With just under 1 day left, it still requires 2,309 backers.
The Impact of Revealed Stretch Goals
It’s essential to note that since all of Giant Man’s stretch goals have been disclosed, there’s nothing left to entice potential backers who were on the fence. In contrast, keeping stretch goals a secret, as Hasbro did in the past, helps maintain excitement and anticipation for the campaign. Unfortunately, the hype for Giant Man has dwindled, and there’s little incentive for people to revisit it.
Galactus’s Final Push
By the beginning of its final week on August 23, 2021, Galactus had 13,156 backers out of the needed 14,000—less than 1,000 to go, with only one stretch goal known. Galactus eventually reached its minimum 14,000 backers on August 25, 2021, with five days left in the campaign. That’s when interest peaked as fans eagerly awaited the reveal of additional stretch goals.
Frankie Raye Nova was unlocked on August 26, 2021, as backers surpassed 16,000. The Silver Surfer stretch goal was revealed on the same day and unlocked a day later on August 27, 2021, when backers reached 17,000. On August 29, 2021, the Marvel Legends MORG figure was unlocked as the campaign hit 20,000 backers. The final stretch goal, the Alternate Galactus Doom Head, was revealed on the same day.
The campaign concluded on August 30, 2021, with the Alternate Galactus Doom Head stretch goal unlocked as backers reached 22,000. The final tally was an impressive 30,780 backers.
Conclusion
While we can’t predict the definitive outcome of the Giant Man campaign, the total number of backer required today would suggest that this campaign has failed its target. With no surprises left to lure in hesitant backers, the campaign faces a daunting challenge. They have revealed a retro Wasp figure, could they reveal Yellow Jacket today?
