Iron Fist isn’t exactly the household name A-List hero that you expect to see getting a new Marvel Legends figure two years in a row–but, well… it’s not every year Disney is preparing to make Iron Fist a household name with his own Netflix series! Online orders for Iron Fist are expected to ship late next week–do you need one? If you like Iron Fist you do–this is clearly his best toy ever…

The Right:

At a glance, you might be thinking “What the heck is Iron Fist doing in the Marvel Legends Doctor Strange series?” But while Doctor Strange and Danny Rand aren’t besties or anything, both characters are mystical-based, both characters served on the New Avengers together at the same time… and both characters are being prepped for mainstream success.

So while I heard some grumbles about Iron Fist’s inclusion in this particular series, I’ve got no problem with it. In fact, I’m glad we’re getting Danny here instead of Hasbro trying to shoehorn him into next year’s first X-Men or Guardians of the Galaxy Legends wave or something.

Oh, that’s right, there’s an actual toy to talk about…

As you probably noticed instantly when you saw this figure, it’s another reuse of the ever-popular Pizza Spider-Man mold from 2015, but with an all-new head and new lower arms.

I have no issues with this mold choice whatsoever–in fact, I think it’s the best choice Hasbro could have made by far. Iron Fist is a thin dude who requires extraordinary flexibility, and there’s no available tooling that would fit the bill better than this.

I mentioned new lower arms on this Marvel Legends Iron Fist figure–that’s to accommodate the very cool interchangeable fists that this 6″ Iron Fist comes with. By default, Iron Fist’s fists (both of them) are green and covered with non-removable translucent yellow plastic “energy”.

If these “glowing fists” had been done poorly they could have looked awful, but instead the effect looks awesome.

But if you’re like me, seeing Danny Rand with both his fists blazing with energy might be a little weird. Luckily, that’s where the alternate hands facilitated by the new lower arms come in, as this Doctor Strange Legends Iron Fist comes with a pair of new wrapped fists.

Popularized by Matt Fraction’s “Immortal Iron Fist” comic book series, the wrapped fists look totally natural on this modern Iron Fist 6″ figure (whose costume, not coincidentally, is also based on that run).

Having grown up on classic Iron Fist with his bare chest and gigantic collar, I wasn’t keen on this redesign for the character at first–but it’s really grown on me over the years and I now think this is the definitive look for Danny Rand and also his definitive action figure.

This figure also includes a pair of one of the great loves of my life: effects pieces. In this case, snap-on energy flames that go over either sets of Iron Fist’s fists. They’re a little bit big and remind me more of Ken Masters from Street Fighter throwing a flaming dragon punch than anything else (“Shoryuken!”), but I still like the effects pieces and think they’re pretty fun to use.

Because of the natural simplicity of his costume, there’s not a ton of paintwork on the new Iron Fist Marvel Legends 6″ figure. But what is there is excellent–particularly the dragon printed onto his chest, which has a sharp-looking black outline around it and has been printed to perfection. On the paint deco front, this figure is flawless.

And while his belt is an add-on piece, it’s tight enough that it doesn’t flop around endlessly–a trait of the X-Men Legends females that drove me insane.

Last but not least: articulation. This is the Pizza Spidey body, so you know the drill by now: ankle rockers, butterfly-joint ball-hinge shoulders, ball-hinge head and wrists, upper torso ab crunch with swivel waist, double-jointed knees and elbows, ball-jointed hips and swivel biceps and thighs. Barring a calf swivel (which I do sort of miss), every point of articulation one could want for a martial arts master is present and accounted for.

The Wrong:

And so we enter the nitpick zone. But wait–! While I do have a few nits to pick, I have a legit gripe I want to get out of the way first. Unfortunately, Hasbro used the super-rubbery plastic for Iron Fist’s knee joints, and as a result the figure has a really hard time supporting his weight and getting into many poses.

I got him posed for photos standing on one leg by balancing him on some rocks, but those lower legs are just too flimsy to support his body unassisted. Definitely disappointing for a figure that’s got such superb articulation for it to be hindered by a plastic quality issue.

My other complaints are all pretty tiny in comparison–some interchangeable karate palms would have been nice, the wrapped hands pop off a little too easily, and I don’t like how the tassels on his mask go straight down and aren’t visible from most angles at all. Little things.

Overall: Iron Fist is a character I’ve always dug, and with this, he’s finally got the figure he deserves. The paintwork and articulation are both excellent, both sets of interchangeable fists are super-cool, and the slim body choice is just right for The Living Weapon. I wish the plastic used for his legs was a lot more solid, but this is otherwise an almost perfect action figure. Recommended.

GRADE: A-