Beast has been an obvious gap in the X-Men ’97 Marvel Legends line for a while. Hasbro has now filled it, but this is not simply another blue Beast with a different head.
The Marvel Legends X-Men ’97 Beast goes much harder on the animated look. That makes him interesting because collectors already have several versions of Hank McCoy to choose from. The real question is whether this new figure looks different enough to justify buying Beast again.
Release Date: Fall 2026, exact date not announced
MSRP / Price: $39.99
Edition Size / Production Run: Not announced
Manufacturer / License: Hasbro / Marvel Studios X-Men ’97
The Cartoon Look Changes Beast Quite a Bit
The first thing I noticed is how clean the body looks.
Older Beast figures often use sculpted fur across most of the arms, legs and torso. This Marvel Legends Beast X-Men ’97 figure takes a different route. The surfaces are much smoother, which matches the animation but might look slightly odd beside comic-based figures.
I think that choice makes sense here.
Beast in X-Men ’97 has a very clear animated shape. He is broad through the shoulders and chest, but still needs to look agile rather than like a simple powerhouse. From the promotional shots, Hasbro seems to have kept that balance.
The head is important too. Hank needs to look intelligent and friendly as well as slightly wild. An alternate head helps give the figure more personality and should make a big difference when changing poses.
This feels more like a proper X-Men ’97 Beast than a replacement for every older version.
Accessories Give Hank Some Personality
Hasbro includes five accessories: an alternate head, two alternate hands, goggles and a backpack.
The goggles and backpack are the pieces I like most.
Beast is not just the big blue bloke at the back of the team. He is a scientist, and those accessories help sell that side of Hank without needing a pile of laboratory equipment.
Alternate hands are useful for posing too, especially on a character who should work crouched, climbing or balanced on his hands.
The real test will be the articulation. Hasbro says the figure is fully articulated, but promo photos cannot tell us how well the joints actually move or hold a pose. Beast needs good hip, shoulder and ankle movement more than most X-Men characters.
Until the finished figure is in collectors’ hands, final joint quality and QC are still unknown.
$39.99 Makes the Value Question Harder
This is where I have more reservations.
At $39.99, the X-Men ’97 Beast action figure sits above the price of a standard Marvel Legends release. The figure appears to use substantial new tooling, which explains some of that cost, but the accessory count is not huge.
You are mainly paying for a large character, a new animated sculpt and a design made specifically for this version of Beast.
For somebody building the animated team, that will probably matter more than raw accessory count. Beast is too important to leave out. The line already has plenty of major characters, while larger releases such as Marvel Legends X-Men ’97 Apocalypse have pushed the collection well beyond a basic wave of six-inch figures.
There are also very different ways to collect this team. Mondo’s X-Men ’97 Storm targets a completely different scale and budget. Hasbro Marvel Legends Beast remains the more practical option if you want to build a full cast without needing an entire room for them.
Is This Beast Worth Adding?
For an X-Men ’97 display, I think the answer is probably yes.
The figure captures the clean animated design rather than trying to reuse a comic Beast and hope nobody notices. That gives it a reason to exist.
I would be less certain at $39.99 if you already own a Beast you love and mainly collect comic figures. The smoother body could stand out next to more detailed Marvel Legends releases.
For me, this one works because Hasbro has committed to the cartoon design. It looks like Hank from the series rather than another generic Beast wearing X-Men ’97 colours.
Now I want to see whether that big body can actually move as well as Beast should.
Let us know what you think on our Reddit page