DC is teaming up with Mattel to try to bring its feminine superheroes to the forefront. Today, DC Entertainment announced it would be partnering with the toy company for a new initiative geared toward girls between the ages of 6 and 12. The cross-platform entertainment will be called DC Super Hero Girls, and will include toys, books and DVDs, but also TV specials. Sounds pretty sweet.
It’s probably helpful that DC Entertainment already has a slew of intricate and interesting female characters at its disposal. And while the new series of products is rolling with the title DC Super Hero Girls, the TV specials and more won’t just stick to superheroines. Instead, some fan favorite villains will be present. Already confirmed for DC Super Hero Girls are Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Batgirl, Harley Quinn, Bumble Bee, Poison Ivy, and Katana, although the villains don't look fun and friendly in the promo image. You can check out the cute versions of the characters, below.
The superhero world is often boy-centric, with action figures and more consumer products geared toward boys and young men. Marvel just came under fire this week for not including Black Widow action figures in its lineup of Avengers products, and while DC Entertainment’s new product lineup was certainly in the works before yesterday’s spectacle, the announcement is still timely. It’s especially smart, considering Supergirl is already becoming a series on CBS, Wonder Woman is getting her own movie and Harley Quinn is expected to appear in Suicide Squad (not to mention we’ve seen a young Poison Ivy on Gotham).
Today’s big announcement doesn’t state exactly when fans will be able to see the younger-geared versions of Supergirl and Wonder Woman on the air, but the company is working with Warner Bros. Animation to bring the characters to life for those ages 6-12. The initial launch will happen this fall, and the rest of the products will start to roll out during 2016.
A lot of girls are already into comics, comic book movies and other products, but by starting to push female-centric products early, DC Entertainment is doubtless hoping they can enlighten an entire generation about the company’s biggest characters, doubtless leading to numerous girls who grow up to be DC fans and invest in the company’s movies and more. The idea being: if you get 'em young, they might stick with you for life. DC Super Hero Girls is certainly a cute way to accomplish this.
