Before Star Wars: The Force Awakens even hit theaters, their was an outcry over the perceived lack of merchandising items for Rey (Daisy Ridley). Marvel Studios' former top exec, Ike Perlmutter infamously based his decisions around toy sales and was reportedly the reason behind why it took so long for Captain Marvel to receive her own solo film. Case in point, the first Guardians film had very little merchandise in the way of Zoe Saldana's Gamora or Karen Gillan's Nebula. But it's a new day at Marvel Studios, with Kevin Feige now bypassing Perlmutter and reporting directly to Disney's Bog Iger. With that change in mind, it's likely that James Gunn's assurance of a greater merchandising focus on the female characters isn't just an empty promise.
Gunn also assured fans on
Facebook as well. "
I'm making sure this time around the female characters are more represented in the toy world. Not only Gamora, but Mantis, Nebula, and Elizabeth Debicki's character as well." It's too bad Gunn didn't slip up and reveal who Elizabeth Debicki is playing.