In May, we reported on how Todd McFarlane expressed hope that the McFarlane Toys Star Trek: Discovery phaser would still be released, even after pre-orders for it had been cancelled. Today, McFarlane Toys sent us a statement regarding the anticipated role play replica, explaining the cancellations and reiterating Todd McFarlane’s hope.
According to McFarlane Toys, the cancellation of pre-orders was due to changes required to fit regulations regarding toy weapons:
Based on federal, state and local regulations around replica/toy weapons, McFarlane Toys has decided to cancel pre-orders on the Star Trek: Discovery Phaser 2018 release until we can determine a more acceptable way to release it without compromising the integrity of the item. We are still pursuing options on releasing this item in the future. We apologize for any inconvenience and disappointment this may have caused the fans.
A number of US states have regulations regarding the sale and design of toy guns, to ensure toys cannot be confused with real weapons. The latest promotional image for the McFarlane Toys Star Trek: Discovery phaser (see below) did show how they were trying to comply by adding new orange colored nozzle, a change from the prototype shown at Toy Fair earlier this year.
Official image for McFarlane Toys’ Star Trek Discovery phaser replica toy
Hopefully McFarlane finds a way to make these toys. The quality of the toy is impressive and is reasonably priced at just $35.
Figures still coming this summer
McFarlane’s statement also noted how this summer they will “be releasing Star Trek action figures based on the fan-favorite characters, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Captain James T. Kirk.” The two 7″ articulated figures will debut in late July. Captain Kirk is available for pre-order from Entertainment Earth for $17.99 , and Captain Picard is also available for pre-order from Entertainment Earth for 17.99.
McFarlane Toys is set to release their first Star Trek products in June, figures for Kirk and Picard
Yes, of course this is all it was. Maybe they should re-name this website Trekconspiracies dot com, for the way the reader comments sections fall off the deep end, accusing CBS, Abrams, or anybody and anything but the simplest and most likely answer.
Or even toxictrek.com
To get to any actually intelligent discussion you have to wade through racism, sexism and homophobia. And if you call out such comments, apparently you get a ban! Its disgusting and it says all you need to know about the site owners and administrators.
I’m a gay man, early 30s, muslim background, all my closest friends are female and am tired of the chauvinistic society we live in… but Discovery does NOTHING for me. Stop confusing criticism of this poorly written show with anything else. You can scaremonger people into liking it by claiming their closed minded!
Discovery is the lamest Star Trek show of all time, but I still want the phaser toy.
To be fair I have seen a lot of people hate this show specifically because it has gay or coloured main characters. Apparently it suddenly dawned on them that Star Trek is socially liberal.
So why can’t we criticize the flaws without dwelling on the gay/black/female/PC/SJW stuff, which is what many do here?
Blathering about how the show hates white straight males isn’t exactly constructive criticism.
It’s like blaming the third season of TOS on the casting of Takei and Nichols.
Agreed. My dislike of Discovery has nothing to do with the social elements and everything to do with the bastardization of 50 years of canon. And I want the toy as well lol.
I’ve been watching starter since it startedthe original series Babylon Piccard the Borg all the movies.pisses me off all the new ones are on pay t.v only forget the regular people fans that have been their from the beginning.not a happy trekkie
Long ago I called out homophobic comments on this site & My comments were removed & the homophobic hate speak left in tack- it was unbelievable.
I still haven’t forgotten this.
They should get rid of the comments. It adds nothing.
If you look around
The whole world is coming together now
Can you feel it
Feel it in the air, the wind is taking it everywhere
Can you feel it
All the colors of the world should be
Lovin’ each other wholeheartedly
Yes, it’s all right
Take my message to your brother and tell him twice
Spread the word and try to teach the man
Who’s hating his brother, when hate won’t do
When we’re all the same, ’cause the blood inside me is inside you
Can you feel it
Sing out loud
Because we want to make a crowd
Touch a hand and sing a sound so pure, salvation rings
Can you feel it
Skip the meds today huh.
yeah Thanks Trump!!!!
America makes me laugh. 300m guns in circulation. Kids getting massacred in schools on a regulator basis. Nothing done to reduce gun violence.
Oh but a toy laser pistol? Gotta regulate that stuff right now lest it look a gun!
I was thinking exactly the same. There’d probably be less regulations for them to deal with if the manufactured an actual working phaser
That’s very funny Karl, because there’s a grain of truth to it.
GarySeven,
More than a grain, remember the Elon Musk personal flamethrower? Still, legal.
That’s where McFarlane went wrong, they should have had the guts to put a strong enough laser emitter to start fires in it.
Except kids have been shot by police for playing with toy guns.
Oh well, this must be the solution then. Not training police…
I don’t think it’s the solution, but it’s troubling that they need to do this.
Kids have been shot doing a lot of things.
So have black men for doing & possessing nothing- whats your point?
Amen!! WHen will this country wake up!!!
You elected trump. America is never getting up again. I’m moving to China.
Good catch.
Kirk looks a bit confused there. Is that the “Spock’s Brain” edition?
And Picard looks like he just walked in on Riker getting fresh with his woman.
I’d be willing to sign off on this if they can show me a common handgun with its grip up front and a big-ass, neon orange silver-dollar sized muzzle.
Or….we could have to be 18 years old to buy one? Okay, it’s not a rifle…21 maybe?
I’ve never seen a real gun. Never had a toy gun. Seen a real paintball gun. Scared the heck out of me. Seen toy guns. Never been scared of a plastic black or orange hunk of plastic. I assume real guns are shiny metal.
Yes because it would be a tragedy if this replica phaser were confused with a real, functioning phaser.
What’s more annoying is there wasn’t any kind of this bullcrap with Anovos’ replica.
Just what I was thinking. I guess its OK to have a black nozzle so long as you are charging $500 and completely ripping off the public.
Once again, The Left has reared its ugly bureaucratic head and made life and business unnecessarily difficult.
Cue being attacked by the SJWs.
I’m gay, parents are Turkish and practicing muslims… this show does nothing for me. It’s not a question of Left Vs. Right – it’s a question of a contrived prequel that nobody asked for, a pretentious and preachy production team and terrible writing and oh, lack of respect for a 50 year legacy. Discovery sucks and I’m not surprised nobody cares about the merchandise.
Truth.
It’s hard to do a prequel set 10 years behind, 50 years later. I’m sure Enterprise was hard. But that was about 100 years before. Easier. 10 years? There’s Canon issue to deal with. If they do switch to the Kirk uniforms better switch time to Kirk’s time. Otherwise tech and aliens won’t b the only crap. Kirk wore Pike’s uniform for an episode. Evidently the pike uniforms had been in service awhile at Kirk’s time. Look at Charlie X. Not pilot, but they still used pike uniforms. STD season 1 uniforms look a bit upgrade from the kelvan uniforms. And you can use kelvan uniforms. The u.s.s. kelvan was what splintered the timeline. It can make sense they went from STD to pike uniforms. Look at Enterprise c to d. Major changes. Even jack crusher wore the uniforms. So the b to c to d uniforms were quick.
Its so SIMPLE- the enterprise was 10-20 years old- Discovery is a new ship- it can be more advanced & still from that time without changing everything & not showing stylistically correct Constitution Class ships.
word!
Preach Sista!
Well quite frankly if the right were in any way responsible or stable with guns maybe we wouldn’t need all these regs.
What the f***k does the left have to do with it?
I’m convinced there’s no market for Discovery merch, especially technology reproductions. Discovery’s whole vibe is ‘science lite’ (or science-nonsense) so I just don’t think it’s going to encourage the same reverence by the same nerds who bought tricorders and phasers back in the TNG, DS9, VOY days. I know at my job, if there aren’t enouh pre-orders, they scrap and item. They paid money for the license and probably want to make the item… but nobody is buying.
Also STD’s federation was stupid. Putting all resources into tech? “Oh we’re about peace and exploration, ain’t nobody gonna attack us”. Fools! The Klingons almost killed your butt. Then, of course, they dialed back on tech (hence TOS) and looked into offensive and defensive tech. If we as Americans got rid of our nukes, you can be sure some asshole nation will attack and wipe us out. Not everyone likes people who are all like “we are about democracy, and we’re bringing it to you, and you, and you. But not you.”
You’re my hero.
@Gene Simmons From KISS You have awful role models.
There’s no Market because the majority of people who like Discovery are not Star Trek fans or Sci-Fi fans. They are more general TV viewers & don’t buy merch- they are just there for the moment because they are marketed too & they will dwindle & disappear like the JJ fans did.
Just released it! It’s the coolest Trek prop in years even with an orange front.
What do you mean “Just released it”? McFarlane has *not* released it.
McFarlane can solve the problem by going ahead and selling the phaser with the stupid-looking orange nozzle, but making the nozzle easily removable. They can sell replacement black nozzles separately (or maybe even include it with the product, if that doesn’t violate the dumb state regulations).
I think that would be like an automaker making a car with easily removable bumpers. Regulations require them to be solidly fixed.
@Gonzo: Cars *do* have easily removable bumpers.
No, they’re bolted on. And you’ll probably be fined without them.
LOL- that’s all BS- plenty of other replicas on the market without this supposed problem- they are covering up poor pre-orders or Copyright/licensing issues with CBS.
It will be exposed later on like everything else is in time.
guns suck
I find it very curious that McFarlane felt somehow compelled to cancel this prop replica because of supposed regulations requiring an orange nozzle — while at the same time, Anovos is selling an almost identical product without any such orange nozzle.
With the cancellation of the McFarlane item, the only available licensed DSC phaser prop replica is the one from Anovos — which is being sold for more than 14 TIMES(!) the price of McFarlane’s version ($35 vs $500!). This, in spite of the fact that there seems to be little apparent difference between the two versions in appearance or quality. (Compare the photos and product features lists in the two links below.)
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/Product/VariationDetails/71570
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/Product/VariationDetails/66057
Nothing curious about it. Anovos is selling a high-priced collectible, a prop replica, while McFarlane is trying to mass market a toy. It’s like replica swords from fantasy films. You can buy accurate, sharp-edged collectible replicas of Excalibur or Conan’s sword, but toy versions are always plastic and clearly not accurate.
Anovos doesn’t try to sell to children in toy stores. McFarlane most likely wants to get DSC props into toy stores. Thus, they have to follow the kid-friendly rules, such as orange nozzle/tips.
I Want!!