Ray Stubblebine/Hasbro/HOIron Man 2 has arrived. At least in toy form.
Helping to build buzz for the sequel to 2008's summer blockbuster, super dude Robert Downey Jr. turned up at Toy Fair to check out the new line of playthings made in his image.
And the man in the iron mask helmet wasn't disappointed.
Downey popped in for a visit to the Hasbro booth Monday night, checking out the Iron Man Helmet and new series action figures (including his celluloid alter ego, along with Mickey Rourke's Whiplash and 15 others) and play sets based on the May 7 release.
Our hands-down favorite: Tony Starch, aka the Iron Mash, a spud version from the makers of Mr. Potato Head.
Also making a splash at Toy Fair:
• Hasbro's latest line of Star Wars toys and games based on both the Cartoon Network's top-rated Clone Wars and marking the 30th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back. Fanboys will drool over the General Grievous Lightsaber (you can connect two blades together for spinning, Jedi-annihilating fun), a new AT-AT set, complete with minivehicles and action figures, a Boba Fett helmet that speaks the character's classic lines, a Millennium Falcon R/C vehicle; and a host of action figures and playsets from all six films.
• Mattel trotted out Dancing With the Stars champ Donny Osmond to hype its new Dance Star Mickey, a plush, electronic Mickey Mouse that gets down and boogies to tunes from the likes of James Brown. The toymaker also debuted dolls and accessories based on the animated featured Rapunzel, due in November.
• Also appearing on behalf of Mattel was wrestling star Triple H, who introduced a whole line of WWE toys, including action figures ranging from classic grapplers to today's stars, various WWE rings and Electrovision Spinner Belts, which play theme songs for each wrestler.
• Lego is cranking out lots of new Hollywood-based blocks. Aside from getting the Toy Story license and the usual Star Wars-themed collections (i.e., the new Hoth Wampa set to coincide with the aforementioned Empire Strikes Back celebration), Jake Gyllenhaal is getting the brick treatment for his Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, which hits theaters May 28. There's the Fight for the Dagger set, the Quest Against Time set, pitting our hero against the evil Nizam, and the Battle of Alamut set, which features a shirtless Gyllenhaal figure contending with catapults and castle guards.
The other big news out of Legoland is a new line based on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, with a first installment unspooling in November. Playsets include Dobby Release, Quidditch Lesson, Hagrid's Hut, the Burrows, Hogwarts Express and Hogwarts Castle.
• Twilight fans will be able to set up their own Teams Edward and Jacob with a new line of toys and games based on the June release of Eclipse. Screenlife is releasing Scene It? The Twilight Saga Deluxe Edition, featuring clips, trivia questions and onscreen puzzlers from all three flicks. Also available are Twilight USB flash drives available in 4-, 8- and 16-gigabyte sizes from Tyme Machine, all of which come preloaded with the New Moon soundtrack.
• Daryl Hannah showed up today to promote her bluffing game, Liebrary, in which players must come up with their own believable first line of a book to fake out their opponents.
• Discovery Bay Games rolled out a Saturday Night Live parlor game and invited current Not Ready for Primetime Players Fred Armisen and Kenan Thompson to hype it. While Cardinal Games is putting out CD-based board games based on Glee, Eclipse and Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland.
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For a rundown on all the coolest movie- and TV-related playthings, check out E! Online's 2010 Toy Fair photo gallery.