McDonald's Latest Happy Meal Is For Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Not long ago, McDonald's was once best known for its kid-friendly branding and Happy Meal toys. In fact, the first Happy Meal dates back to 1979 when the toys included "McDoodler" stencils, puzzles, bracelets, and erasers. Shortly thereafter, McDonald's partnered with Paramount Pictures on a project related to the 1979 film "Star Trek: The Motion Picture."
The goal of the campaign was to give out film-themed toys in order to promote both the new movie and the delicious product at the restausurant. Needless to say, it was a massive success. Soon enough, the Happy Meal toys were used as promotional tools for brands across the board. From Hot Wheels to My Little Pony and even Transformers (via Quality Logo Products), the Happy Meal revolutionized McDonald's promotional abilities forever.
If you're a certain age, you almost certainly remember begging your parents for a Happy Meal just so you could get the new Barbies, Beanie Babies, Star Wars, or Batman toys that were hidden in the cardboard boxes. These small toys are a staple to any Happy Meal box with kids of all ages still excited about what character they may get in their box. To this day, McDonald's is still making toys for new movie and television show characters.
Now, a new toy is out, and it's just in time for the newest Marvel movie.
Limited-edition Black Panther characters
In order to honor the upcoming release of the 30th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, McDonald's is releasing limited-time "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" Happy Meal toys.
According to a press release, the toys will include 10 characters from the movie, including fan favorites like Shuri (Letitia Wright) and Okoye (Danai Gurira), as well as newcomers like Namor (Tenoch Huerta) and Ironheart (Dominique Thorne). These toys are available for a limited time while supplies last at any participating locations nationwide. Unsurprisingly, this set of toys is becoming popular once again with the new adult Happy Meals and the recently re-emerged Halloween Happy Meal bucket. Toys are once again becoming collectible items and these "Black Panther" toys don't seem to be any different.
There is also a special effect on the new toys to make them even more special. If you dip them in water, the costumes, which are made up of vibranium (a fictional metal within the MCU), will change color. There is also a QR code to scan that allows you to play a game that is paired up with your specific toy as the character (via Laughing Place). Even with the movie not yet released, fans are gearing up for the new toys at the fast-food chain, fully embracing what makes "Black Panther" so special.
"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" hits theaters on November 11.