Nostalgia is back, and nowhere is that clearer than with toys of our childhood. 2026 will see Masters Of The Universe hit the big screen, over 40 years after Mattel first released He-Man, while Toy Story 5 will bring beloved characters and new ones back to theaters, 31 years after we first met Woody and Buzz. But what’s next?
Nick Karamonos, SVP of Action Figures & Entertainment Partnerships at Mattel, tells HELLO! that “part of our strategy with Mattel Studios” is to reconsider the ways they could use legacy properties.
“That’s what the Master of the Universe theatrical release, and all the TV shows that we’re developing, are: another way for us to revisit some of those properties and then revisit the toy line,” he says. “And as Disney enters its milestone years, that’s also something that we’re thinking about internally: do we release some of those old toys that we did together, in new ways?”
As companies such as Mattel look back into their archives for new IP ideas, HELLO! asked Nick what forgotten toy he would be interested in seeing make a comeback….
Major Matt Mason
Nick tells HELLO! that they are always looking back at their “legacy” toys for news ideas, mentioning Major Matt Mason, “a property that was born out of the moon landing in the late 1960s and early 70s”.
Mason was an astronaut who lived and worked on the moon and was introduced in 1966. The figures were based on design information found in aviation and space periodicals such as Life Magazine, Air Force Magazine, and Jane’s.
Matt was only in circulation for three years and is now a key collector’s item along with accessories such as a moon base, battery-powered flying vehicles, and jet pack.
Tom Hanks – who has voiced Woody in Toy Story since 1995 – has been attached to a movie adaptation since 2011, with the project changing from an animated idea to, most recently, a live-action script. With the recent success of NASA’s Artemis mission, we wouldn’t be surprised to see movement on a new Matt Mason line…
© Los Angeles Times via Getty ImagChatty Cathy
Chatty Cathy was a revolutionary talking doll produced by Mattel from 1959 to 1965, and one of their most popular dolls, after Barbie. Designed to look like a five-year-old girl with blonde bobbed hair and blue eyes, its mouth did not move, but the doll “spoke” one of eleven phrases at random when the “chatty ring” was pulled from her back.
Across the six years it was in production, an African-American version of the doll was also produced, as well as a “Chatty Baby” in 1962 and “Tiny Chatty Baby”, “Tiny Chatty Brother”, and “Charmin’ Chatty” in 1963. Mattel attempted a new production run in the 1970s, but it was not successful.
Chatty Cathy continues to be part of popular culture, referenced in TV shows and movies, and still receives special collector’s editions.
Surprising no-one, a live-action film adaptation produced by Mattel Films and Jason Bateman’s Aggregate Films was announced in January 2022.
Tony the Tattooed Man
Tony the Tattooed Man “was an action figure in the 1980s, part of the lineup on the action figure side,” says Nick. Now considered a cult classic inside Mattel, he was known for the tagline “Tattoo him, tattoo you,” and he featured 140 square inches of tattooable skin and 45 temporary tattoos, but was quickly discontinued.
“This unbelievable, illustratable muscle-bound man comes with 45 water-soluble temporary tattoos and an easy-to-use applicator,” reads the description of Tony.
Proving that the archives have allowed Mattel to consider new projects, in February 2026, it was announced that a live-action movie was in the works with screenwriter, producer and director Tracie Laymon (Bob Trevino Likes It) writing and directing the film for Mattel Studios.
“I was immediately drawn to Tony the Tattooed Man from the minute I saw his name and then learned about his short-lived journey as a discontinued toy. His story is a reminder of the healing power of second chances and not judging a book – or a person – by their cover, a message I believe the world needs right now,” said Tracy.
© Getty ImagesView-Master
Although View-Masters are still manufactured and sold, primarily as classic toys, Nick says that Mattel has considered “how we bring some of those back in a way that represents and allows our fans to use their imagination more”.
“View-Master is one of our properties, and it’s analog and very tactile,” says Nick, recognizing that there is a draw towards toys that allow children to use their imagination.
The View-Master was a special-format stereoscope with corresponding “reels”, thin cardboard discs that presented three-dimensional images for the viewer who looked through the stereoscope.
Hugely popular with children for decades, Mattel launched a VR version in the 2010s, although it was discontinued in 2019.
In 2025, it was confirmed Phil Johnston was attached to direct a live-action movie based on the toy.
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