LEGO just announced a collaboration with Marvel for a new set coming in 2027 that will make not only Marvel history, but LEGO history as well. LEGO and Marvel have had a lengthy and profitable relationship throughout the years. The two companies often work together to bring LEGO sets to life from MCU films, TV shows, and more.
LEGO and Marvel recently confirmed that a new LEGO Marvel set titled "Marvel What if...? Doctor Strange Supreme" will be released on January 1, 2027. This is not surprising, as Strange Supreme was an extremely popular character in the What If...? Disney+ series. However, it doesn't look as though it is solely based on What If...?, which is a pretty big deal.
Specifically, it appears that the "Marvel What If...? Doctor Strange Supreme" LEGO set is based not just on What If...?, but also on Marvel Zombies, at least based on the minifigures that are included in the set. For reference, according to the official LEGO website, this particular set will come with minifigures of Doctor Strange Supreme, FRIDAY, Zombie Hunter Spider-Man, Red Queen (aka the zombified Wanda Maximoff), Zombie Namor, and Zombie Thor.
The set details the Sanctum Sanctorum as all of the minifigures battle it out with one another. Obviously, the zombies are on one side, and the alive heroes are on the other.
While this set is billed as a What If...? set, it is clearly taking inspiration from Marvel Zombies, at least partially. For example, a zombie version of Namor was not featured in the original "What If...? Zombies" episode of Disney+'s What If...?, but was showcased in Marvel Zombies. Therefore, this LEGO set can't solely be based on What If...?.
This is an extremely monumental moment because, for the first time in LEGO history, it is creating a Marvel set based on a TV-MA (the television equivalent to being rated R) Disney+ project. For reference, Marvel Zombies was rated TV-MA, as it was extremely violent.
In fact, to go even a step further, this is only the second time that LEGO has ever manufactured a LEGO set based on a TV-MA title across any genre, brand, or franchise. The only other time LEGO has released a set from a TV-MA series was when the Creel House set from Stranger Things Season 5 came out. Prior to that, LEGO had never made a set based on a TV-MA project. Additionally, the company has still never made a LEGO set based on an R-rated movie.
For reference, LEGO has famously always implemented a family-friendly policy where it does not create sets based on projects that have mature ratings. Stranger Things was likely an exception since a lot of families still watched that show, which is most likely the case with Marvel Zombies as well. However, LEGO is technically working around that policy by marketing the Doctor Strange Supreme set as part of the What If...? line, instead of saying it is based on Marvel Zombies.
For additional reference, the "Marvel What If...? Doctor Strange Supreme" set will cost $99.99 USD, and will consist of 814 pieces.
LEGO and Marvel Have Released R-Rated Characters Before, But Not Full Sets
While LEGO is making Marvel history with the release of this Doctor Strange Supreme LEGO set, it is worth pointing out that, in the past, the company has featured characters from R-rated or TV-MA projects.
For example, LEGO manufactured an official minifigure of Alaqua Cox's Maya Lopez (aka Echo) from the Echo Disney+ series, which was rated TV-MA. That minifigure was sporting the costume Echo wore in her self-titled series rather than the outfit she was seen in during the events of Hawkeye, so it was fairly obvious that it came from the Echo series.
Additionally, other minifigures of characters such as Deadpool, the Punisher, and Daredevil have been released with other Marvel sets. Those characters appear all throughout R-rated or TV-MA projects, but the sets they were included with were based on PG-13 or TV-14 titles.
As mentioned, this is the first time in history that LEGO will be crafting a set based on a TV-MA show, but it most likely won't be the last. It seems as though there is only a matter of time before the floodgates open and LEGO announces that it will venture into more mature waters, as there is definitely a market for sets like that.
