"You're telling me that the king of a Third World country runs around in a bulletproof cat suit?"
Everett Ross was released as a Marvel Legends figure in 2018 as part of an exclusive 2-Pack with Killmonger. The set was relatively scarce in the UK in particular, leading to the figure’s price climbing on the secondary market. In 2022 a re-release was confirmed as part of the Wakanda Forever wave of figures that also featured an Attuma build-a-figure. While Ross had a role to play in Wakanda Forever, his figure remained the only one badged for the original Black Panther movie and also featured the Legacy badge indicating it was a re-release rather than a new version of the character.
The wave was one of a handful released in 2022 during the ‘plastic-free’ packaging phase so has no window to show off the figure, only photos and illustrations around the box including a confirmation of contents on the rear. The BAF checklist moved to the left spine, while the right carried the usual character artwork. Ross himself is held in check inside the box in a cardboard inner tray and is wrapped in waxy paper.
The Everett Ross figure is the exact same mold as the 2018 release from the Killmonger 2-Pack. Ross uses the established suited body with the jacket and trousers cast in a dark blue. The shirted torso is a lighter pale blue and the tie is a royal blue to finish the configured outfit. This blue look is actually seen in Wakanda Forever with the grey version on the older figure the Black Panther look - which does make the packaging choice and branding as a Black Panther Legacy release somewhat odd.
vs 2018 release (right)
The head sculpt is the same as the original which had a good likeness to Martin Freeman, but this newer version is much improved with a more accurate hair colour in particular and enhanced facial printing. It also loses the slight 5-o-clock shadow the first release was sporting which is another welcome improvement.
Ross comes with a single handgun as an accessory. This is a simple black plastic piece and limited in its detail. It is a different piece to the one packed with 2018 Agent Ross and that is a shame as the original gun was screen-accurate while the new one has some strange proportions including a flared barrel. The gun fits into the right hand of Ross where a trigger finger slots into place. There is no holstering option.
Articulation is getting dated now on these suited bodies and while there are 19 in total both the elbows and knees are pinned and the ankle rockers remain problematic with limited movement and a clash with the hem of the trousers which stops them from sitting completely flat to the floor without some manipulation in the rotation of the leg or a touch of heat treatment to force them further forward. While the pins do impact the aesthetics, the rest of the articulation works well enough to give Agent Ross a reasonably wide level of display options with or without his gun including a few very ‘James Bond’ poses.
Packaging aside, this is pretty much a Wakanda Forever release for Agent Everett Ross. It improves marginally on the original by way of the head sculpt but changes little else, and the aging suited body continues to cause problems with stability. The handgun change is also an odd choice, but 2021/2022 saw a few unusual weapon choices which may have been driven by external factors that prevented the use of screen-accurate pieces. All in all, the figure does what it needs to do and enhances a wider movie collection without being a stand-out piece.
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About Me : As a child of the 70's and 80's I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force) and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licences - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...
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