The world of Muppet fandom has long been a rollercoaster, marked by periods of scarcity and sudden bursts of content. While 2026 has brought a resurgence of 'The Muppet Show' into mainstream culture, the preceding years left collectors yearning for more. The recent acquisition of the Muppets license by NECA, announced at the 2026 New York Toy Fair, signals a promising new chapter for fans, particularly those who invested in the prematurely discontinued Diamond Select action figure line. NECA's commitment to quality and their potential to complete these unfinished collections offer a beacon of hope for enthusiasts.
For years, Disney offered sporadic Muppet content, from Disney Plus specials to sitcoms, leaving fans hungry for consistent merchandise. The abrupt cessation of Diamond Select's promising action figure line in 2025, due to the company going out of business, was a significant blow to collectors. Many had dedicated considerable time and resources to collecting these figures, only to have their efforts cut short. The unfulfilled preorders and the absence of key characters like Sweetums left a void in many collections, highlighting the vulnerability of niche collector markets to corporate changes.
NECA's entry into the Muppet action figure market brings renewed excitement. Their initial lineup, featuring iconic characters such as Miss Piggy, the Great Gonzo, and Mahna Mahna with the Snowths, has already garnered high praise for its faithful recreation of the 1970s TV show aesthetics. Each figure comes with characteristic accessories, like Piggy's dog Foo-Foo and Gonzo's girlfriend Camilla, demonstrating NECA's attention to detail. This commitment extends to including obscure characters, such as the Singing Food Muppets, a clear indication of NECA's deep dive into the Muppet universe.
A significant opportunity for NECA lies in addressing the incompleteness left by Diamond Select. Many collectors share a common desire for NECA to pick up where Diamond Select left off, especially given the comparable seven-inch scale of their figures. Finishing the collection would involve producing figures for characters like Lew Zealand, Lips, Uncle Deadly, Pepe the Prawn, and Kermit's nephew Robin. This move would not only be a gesture of goodwill to the dedicated fanbase but also solidify NECA's position as a hero in the Muppet collecting community, delivering on a promise left unfulfilled by others.
The potential for NECA to complete the Diamond Select line, perhaps even as convention exclusives, represents more than just filling gaps in a collection; it's about honoring the dedication of Muppet fans who have navigated years of inconsistent franchise management. Such a move, alongside the production of new figures and possibly even dioramas of iconic Muppet Show sets, would provide the comprehensive and high-quality collecting experience that enthusiasts truly deserve after a long period of fluctuating fortunes for the beloved felt performers.
