Toybox REVIEW: Marvel Legends Gamerverse Gargantos

Release Date: October 2025

RRP: $69.99/£65.99

The Capcom range of Marvel fighting games has gone through a bit of a renaissance recently, not only with the release of Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics at the end of 2024 but also both Hasbro and Bandai revealing Gamerverse figures inspired by the series in their Marvel Legends and S.H. Figuarts lines. Hasbro have led the charge with quite an extensive range of figures, with one of the premium pieces among them being the Marvel Legends Gamerverse Gargantos. But rights issues regarding the name be damned, everyone knows this is Shuma-Gorath. Also known as the "Great One Who Slumbers", "Conqueror of Midnight", "All-Killer of the Dawn", "Father of All Evil" and the "Lord of Chaos", the Doctor Strange adversary has been a mainstay of the games since 1995's Marvel Super Heroes, going on to also appear in the first three Marvel vs Capcom games as well.

Marvel Legends Gamerverse Gargantos (or Shuma-Gorath as I will be referring him as for the rest of this review) comes in a very large rectangular box that immediately gives away just how large this figure is. The front of the box features a nice big image of Shuma-Gorath directly lifted from the Capcom games, along with a new pixel art "Gargantos" logo which despite not appearing in any of the games fits the overall aesthetic nicely. Running along the top of the box is both the Marvel Legends logo and "Marvel Gamerverse" logo which appears on any video-game related Marvel product. Each side of the box features a close-up image of his sprite art along with that Gargantos logo again, as well as one side featuring an image of the figure and the other the accessory piece included. The back of the box features an image of the figure in Shuma-Gorarth's signature cross-armed victory pose after defeating Marvel Legends Gamerverse Silver Samurai, with the background based off the training level from the games. Inside the box there is also a diorama backdrop based on this same level.

Inside the figure has been stored unassembled, and requires the buyer to plug in the tentacles themselves. As has been covered in multiple reviews of this figure, once these tentacles have been plugged in they are EXTREMELY difficult to get out again, so it's important to get the configuration you want. Three tentacles have basic curved ends, while the other three have slightly different ones with the curves in an S shape. No instructions are included so there's technically no "correct" way to install them, however many people (myself included) seem to have followed one of stock images that has the S ones on the top half and the basic curves underneath. Ultimately it's up to you, just be wary that once they're fitted you'll have a hard time trying to change them.

Once the figure has been assembled the most immediate thing about Shuma-Gorath is its size. In that respect it definitely tries to justify that $70 price tag, absolutely towering over standard Marvel Legends figures. With one of Shuma-Gorath's powers being the ability to change his size this makes the figure perfect for a comics display, but when it comes to displaying him alongside other Gamerverse figures (or just anyone in the Marvel vs Capcom roster) it does mean he's quite oversized. In the games, Shuma-Gorath is about the size of an average human. Granted that's with all his tentacles curled up, but even if you managed to bend these ones enough you probably wouldn't get him down to quite the right height (not to mention the body being bigger as well). It isn't a dealbreaker as it's still a very impressive looking figure, it just isn't quite right. The all-green body features lots of moulded texture and wrinkles to give it the look of real skin, as well as a darker wash of green in certain areas to make it a little more life-like. At the centre of his body is a giant piercing reddish-brown eye, which sits behind a lens of clear to plastic to again give it more realism. For such a simple design, Hasbro have really put the effort in to make it look as good as possible.

Not being humanoid also means Shuma-Gorath has some rather interesting articulation. Each of the six tentacles attaches to the main body via a swivel hinge joint, and then the tentacles themselves are made of a rubbery material that has a flexible wire running through it. This allows you to bend each of the tentacles however you see fit, however it's worth noting that the wire runs out before the very tips of the tentacles. The tentacles are quite malleable, but made from quite thick material so aren't the easiest things to bend straight out of the box. A warm water bath might help loosen them up a bit, but I didn't do that before taking these photos and definitely struggled with certain poses. That signature cross-armed one being the main offender, to which I got a close approximation but certainly nothing as complex as the stock image Hasbro released. Rubbery parts tend to have a steeper learning curve than normal articulation, but there's a lot more freedom and at the very least the thick material means that they aren't going to break easily either. At the centre the body, that detailed eye can fully move around in its socket, as well as each eyelid being able to move independently for a variety of expressive poses. It's actually genuinely quite impressive how expressive this figure can be given that it's only facial feature is a giant eye.

Shuma-Gorath's sole accessory is the spiked ball version of himself he transforms into as part of his "Mystic Smash" attack, or alternatively one of the numerous spiked balls he summons as part of his "Hyper Mystic Smash" attack. The accessory is a solid sphere with some really nice paint detailing, both on the eye itself and the texture of the green skin. It sadly doesn't have a stand socket or anything moulded into it, so displaying it mid-air will require some careful balancing on your part. Alternatively you could simply display it rolling across the ground, or have Shuma-Gorath hold onto it with one of the tentacles. Getting one to fully wrap around it in a gripping position might be difficult, but if you can't manage that the thickness of the tentacles means it balances on top of them rather well. Functionally the accessory might not have much to offer, but as one of his signature attacks in the game it's definitely a worthwhile inclusion. Also, given the size and style/complexity of the figure Hasbro could have very easily just left it out entirely.

Shuma Gorath has been one of my mains on Marvel vs Capcom for eyes and I'd genuinely given up on the idea of him ever getting a figure. Marvel Legends Gamerverse Gargantos isn't a perfect version, but it's amazing how much effort Hasbro have put in for such a niche character. While the sheer size of the figure certainly justifies the price it also makes him more suited to a comic display than a video game one, as one about half the size (and price) would have made him much better for the latter. The rubbery tentacles offer far more expression and freedom than standard articulation ever would, but for collectors unfamiliar with these materials poseability definitely comes with a learning curve. That all said, it's taken this long for Shuma-Gorath to get a figure and who knows if he'll ever get one again, so all things considered it's a dream come true for fans.