EM-TOUCH

Action figures have come a long way since Star Wars figures revolutionized the movie marketing industry in 1977. It used to be that collectors were satisfied with a 3 3/4-inch figure with yellow hair that we were told was Luke Skywalker, even though the tiny representation of the farm boy from Tatooine looked nothing like Mark Hamill. Still, Kenner Toys (and Hasbro eventually), kept pressing on with more and more realistic looking action figures, and fellow mass-market retailers like Mattel, along with collectible figure-makers including McFarlane Toys, Sideshow and NECA have produced some pretty impressive product over the past several years.

Beauty and the Beast was a record-breaking box office smash in its first weekend, with the biggest opening of any March release. However, Disney’s popular live-action remake faced another big draw to compete with in its second weekend as Lionsgate’s Power Rangers reboot made its debut. Other strong March entries like Logan and Kong: Skull Island also promised stiff competition.

Since Ryan Reynolds made his return as Wade Wilson, fans have been eager to see Deadpool share the screen with Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. The proposed team-up is not merely the result of the two characters’ shared comic book history, but also so Reynolds could share the screen with Jackman for a second time. But after 17 years, Jackman called it quits with Logan, marking the end of his time as the ferocious mutant.