A new, modular Lego Marvel Sanctum Sanctorum has been revealed, and it's literally half the price of the previous version.
As well as being a scaled-down version of the iconic Doctor Strange location (it's a facade rather than the full building), it doesn't just retread old ground; it gives the Sanctum Sanctorum an undead twist by mixing together the What If and Marvel Zombies animated shows. This Lego Marvel set will launch on January 1, 2027 via Lego.
UK: £89.99 at LEGO
This set is made up of 814 pieces, and it depicts the front of the Sanctum Sanctorum - Doctor Strange's home on Bleeker Street in New York. There are six minifigures in total; Strange Supreme from What If alongside Marvel Zombies' F.R.I.D.A.Y. (the teddy bear head on Iron Man armor), Zombie Hunter Spider-Man, Red Queen Scarlet Witch, Zombie Namor, and Zombie Thor. Flipping the building around reveals three rooms: the entrance hall, library, and attic.
While it's a lot simpler than the previous Lego Sanctum Sanctorum (which competed with the best Lego sets so far as scope and ambition go), it still captures the essence of the location despite operating under a greatly reduced piece count. It's unmistakably Doctor Strange's New York home, but for much less money. The old version was impressive, but set you back a weighty $249.99/£214.99. By comparison, this is half the cost and still does a good job of recreating the building.
Even though the interior may not drop your jaw in the same way, there are also plenty of cool nods tucked away in that Bleeker Street brownstone. A door on the second floor opens to alternate worlds like the Mirror Dimension or the Gap Junction, for example, and you can see references to a host of Marvel stories throughout. Look closely and you'll spot the likes of Throg (frog Thor) perched on a downstairs table, a music book inspired by the sheet music battle from Multiverse of Madness, the Watcher, the Book of Cagliostro, and more.
Then there are the minifigures. This is an eclectic bunch, and it's a pretty generous lineup as well – while we've seen Spider-Man in Doctor Strange's cloak before, I'm fairly sure the others are new. They may not have arm prints and that's a shame, particularly for Spidey, but they're otherwise handsome designs (y'know, despite three of them being dead) with a lot of detail apiece.
All in, I think this kit will go down well with both collectors and kids. Actually, it reminds me of Lego Avengers Assemble: Age of Ultron or even the Lego Spider-Man vs. Doc Ock Subway Train Scene; they skillfully straddle the line between display and play sets, providing something for everyone.
The kit isn't the only superhero set to launch at the beginning of next year, of course; an iconic piece of Joker art is being made into a Lego Batman set, as is the Lego Marvel skyline.
It's almost sales season, so we're starting to prepare with an early look at what to expect from Black Friday Lego deals.
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