I can’t remember the last time that a Marvel movie came and went in theaters without a corresponding set of Marvel Minimates movie figures released, so it wasn’t unexpected when pre-orders opened today confirming the themed Amazing Spider-Man 2 Marvel Minimates Wave 56 set! Diamond Select Toys is giving us a larger selection of characters for ASM2 than any other company, although the characters may not be the most exciting ones ever…

When I heard about all of the big-name characters being featured in next summer’s Amazing Spider-Man 2 movie, my mind was swimming with visions of new action figures of Harry Osborn, mecha-Rhino, and the Green Goblin. Well, now that we’ve seen what most toy companies are working on for the movie, none of those characters seem to be a high priority. In fact, Hasbro doesn’t seem interested in any character not named “Spider-Man” or “Electro”.

Thus, the privilege falls to Diamond Select Toys to give collectors Amazing Spider-Man 2 action figures beyond the titular character and Electro. And they are–although the characters coming may not exactly get everyone’s blood pumping…

The lineup for the Marvel Minimates Series 56 Amazing Spider-Man 2 figures is:

• Spider-Man and Norman Osborn
• Battle-Damaged Spider-Man and Electro
• Graduation Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy
• Alistair Smythe and Aleksei Sytsevich

This is the first I’ve heard of Alistair Smythe (the creator of the Spider-Slayers robots) being in the Amazing Spider-Man 2 film, but I think now we know where the mecha Rhino suit will come from. Sadly, it seems pretty obvious that this will be a civilian/goon Aleksei Sytsevich Minimate figure and not a figure of him in the robot Rhino suit. Alas.

I’m also stunned we’re seemingly getting a new Norman Osborn Minimates figure instead of Harry Osborn. Will this Norman Minimate come complete with “sick and dying in bed” action? I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

There is at least some hope that there will be an exclusive Toys R Us Amazing Spider-Man 2 Minimates wave to fill in the missing character gaps, but Toys R Us has been passing on a lot of Marvel Minimates movie series lately, so I wouldn’t hold my breath for that. I’m going to be really teed off if I don’t get a Mecha-Rhino figure from some toy company in 2014, but I don’t think it’s going to be Diamond Select Toys, sadly…

The movie Marvel Minimates Amazing Spider-Man 2 figures series is now available for pre-order, and is scheduled to be released in June 2014.

How do you feel about this civilian-heavy series of Marvel Minimates movie figures, Marvel fans? Are you pleased to get so many characters other companies are skipping, or is this lineup a bit too boring for your tastes?