Ordinarily, Hot Toys kicks off a new branch of Hot Toys Marvel sixth scale Movie Masterpiece Series figures about one month–maybe two–before a movie is actually released. But for Avengers: Age of Ultron, things are a little bit different. Maybe it’s because the first Avengers movie was the most successful superhero movie of all-time, and maybe it’s because Hot Toys already has the perfect tooling ready to make it. Regardless, the time has come far earlier than expected: the exclusive Hot Toys Iron Man Mark 43 die-cast figure is now up for order!

Alright, let’s discuss the robotic elephant in the room before we get started: Yes, the Hot Toys Iron Man Mark 43 figure is a repaint of the Iron Man Mark 42 die-cast figure. In fact, this Hot Toys Iron Man Mark XLIII figure is basically just the inverted-colors version of the Mark XLII.

That said–I’m okay with it. We all knew from the quasi-loved Iron Man 3 movie that the Mark 42 was a prototype suit, so it’s not exactly earth-shaking that the final version of that suit is just a recolored version of it with all of the kinks worked out. A totally new Iron Man armor might have been better, but we know that we’ll be seeing at least up to the Mark 45 in the Avengers 2 movie anyway, so it’s sort of fun to see the revised version of the Mark 42 in all its glory while we can.

While some collectors will definitely balk about a $300+ repaint of the previously-released Iron Man Mark XLII figure coming out as the first figure in the Hot Toys Age of Ultron lineup, it’s because this figure is a total repaint of the Mark 42 Iron Man Hot Toys figure that we’re able to get it so quickly at all. Hot Toys is aiming for a summer 2015 release date for this figure–or sooner–something that would definitely not be possible with an all-new mold.

More exciting than the figure itself for many, however, is the super-cool diorama base that comes with the Diecast Iron Man Mark 43 figure! This base has an all-new, fully-sculpted battle-damaged Ultron Mark I figure attached to it, which looks creepy and compelling at the same time.

If the damaged Ultron remnants on the base freak you out, they’re fully detachable and can be removed from the base–but really, the Ultron Mark I sculpture included here might be the coolest part of the figure. I can’t see many folks wanting to take it off the base (especially since its inclusion has led to the price-point of this figure being the highest-ever for a Hot Toys Die-Cast Iron Man figure).

While the die-cast Hot Toys Mark 43 Iron Man 1/6th scale figure will include an open mask look with Tony Stark Portrait and alternate hands, it will not include the battle-damaged pieces of the armor that came with the Hot Toys.

It would have been nice to get those pieces repainted appropriately for this armor, but perhaps Hot Toys didn’t want to include inaccurate battle-damaged parts with this figure. I’m alright with it, especially since we’re getting that killer Ultron Mark I Diorama base with the figure. And Hot Toys came up with one other neat all-new addition to pack in with this figure…

Just to get those collecting juices really flowing and claim those early pre-order dollars, Hot Toys has also crafted an exclusive bonus item for release with the Hot Toys Iron Man Mark XLIII Exclusive Edition: an LED-lighted, battle-damaged Iron Man Mark 43 helmet! It’s not really clear whether or not the battle-damaged helmet can be put onto the figure, but I’m not sure it would make much sense to do so, seeing as how there’s no battle-damage on the figure’s actual body.

Based off of this exclusive item and the fact that Mark 45 will also be in the movie, I have a foreboding feeling about the fate of this poor Mark 43 Iron Man…

The exclusive edition Hot Toys Iron Man Mark 43 figure is now up for order exclusively through Sideshow Collectibles, and is scheduled to be released in Summer 2015. The awesome exclusive edition LED Lit helmet is likely to lead to the exclusive version of this figure selling out in just a few days, so if you’re wanting the exclusive, make sure to jump on it ASAP. The exclusive Mark III Die-Cast sold out quickly, and I fully expect this one to as well.

Thoughts on the first Hot Toys Avengers Age of Ultron figure to be revealed and put up for sale, Marvel collectors? Does the Mark 43 Iron Man look like a must-have for your Hot Toys collection, or just an unnecessary repaint that you’re passing on?