Toy Biz

Toy Biz, Inc.
Company type	Subsidiary (after merger with Marvel Entertainment Group)
Industry	Toy manufacturing
Predecessor	Charan Toys
Founded	1988
Founder	Ike Perlmutter (acquired in 1990)
Defunct	2007
Fate	Ceased operations after loss of Marvel license
Successor	Marvel Toys (rebranding), Hasbro (Marvel toy license holder)
Headquarters	Montreal, Quebec (originally), later New York City, Canada, United States
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Ike Perlmutter, Avi Arad
Products	Action figures, toys based on Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Lord of the Rings, WCW, TNA Wrestling, Curious George, Code Lyoko
Parent	Marvel Enterprises (after 1998 merger)

Toy Biz, Inc.—which later operated under the name Marvel Toys—originated as Charan Toys in Montreal, Quebec. This company gained recognition primarily for holding the license to produce toys based on Marvel Comics characters from 1990 until 2006.

In 1993, Marvel Entertainment Group acquired a minority interest in Toy Biz. Subsequently, in 1998, Toy Biz merged with Marvel Entertainment Group during the latter's bankruptcy reorganization, resulting in the formation of Marvel Enterprises. Following this merger, Toy Biz functioned as the toy manufacturing arm of the new entity.

By 2005, the division rebranded itself using both Marvel Toys and Toy Biz to better reflect its association with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, in January 2006, Hasbro obtained the Marvel Comics toy license and launched related products in early 2007. Despite efforts to continue producing toys under non-Marvel licenses, Toy Biz ceased operations by late 2007.

Charan Toys (Canadian origins)

The company's roots trace back to Chantex, Inc., a Canadian business established by the Zuckerman family in the late 1800s. By 1980, Chantex's revenue had grown from $160,000 to $4.5 million. That same year, it merged with Randim Marketing, Inc., led by Earl Takefman and specializing in school supplies wholesale and manufacturing, creating Charan Industries Inc. By 1985, its subsidiary Charan Toy, Inc. had become a prominent player in licensed toys. Additionally, Charan diversified by acquiring a hockey equipment brand during the mid-1980s.

Toy Biz (U.S.-based entity)

In 1988, Charan Toys transitioned into an American company and was renamed Toy Biz. Ike Perlmutter acquired Charan and its Toy Biz division in 1990. By 1993, Toy Biz had secured "exclusive, perpetual, royalty-free licenses" to utilize Marvel Characters in exchange for a 46% ownership stake. That year also saw toy designer and comic enthusiast Avi Arad join the firm.

Toy Biz broadened its licensing portfolio to include DC Comics properties, producing items such as the Batman (1989) Batmobile and action figures. The company also created figures based on television series like Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess from the Action Pack lineup. Agreements were further extended to brands like Gerber and NASCAR. In 1995, Toy Biz expanded through acquisitions of Spectra Star, Inc. and Quest Aerospace Education, Inc. The following year marked the launch of Classic Heroes—a candy division combining Marvel-themed candy with toys—and entry into the electronic learning market via a licensing deal with Apple Computer.

During the late 1990s, Toy Biz acquired a controlling interest in Marvel Entertainment Group. Facing bankruptcy and internal disputes at Marvel, Toy Biz merged with it in 1998 to establish Marvel Enterprises; Toy Biz then operated as a division within this new corporation.

Toy Biz as a corporate division

In 1999, Toy Biz entered the professional wrestling market by obtaining the master toy license for World Championship Wrestling (WCW). This license concluded in 2001 after WCW was bought by the World Wrestling Federation.

Toy Biz achieved significant recognition for producing action figures related to Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings film trilogy (2001–2005). Building on an existing partnership with New Line Cinema from their Blade toy line experience, Toy Biz secured these rights despite competitive offers. They introduced larger-scale 6-inch figures that combined screen-accurate details with enhanced articulation to attract both children and adult collectors.

Additionally, Toy Biz licensed products for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), Curious George, and Code Lyoko.

Toy Biz Worldwide Ltd.

In 2001, Marvel Enterprises granted a license for the 'Toy Biz' brand to Toy Biz Worldwide Ltd., a company based in Hong Kong that managed a significant portion of Toy Biz's production activities. By 2005, the Marvel Toys emblem was featured across multiple product lines and had become the standard branding by 2007.

Marvel Entertainment licensing agreement with Hasbro

In January 2006, Marvel Entertainment entered into a five-year licensing contract valued at $205 million with Hasbro Inc., covering toys and games derived from Marvel Comics characters. This agreement prompted Marvel to end its partnership with Toy Biz Worldwide Ltd. ahead of schedule, incurring a termination fee estimated between $13 million and $16 million.

Following the loss of Marvel licenses, Toy Biz faced challenges in 2007 and introduced the Legendary Comic Book Heroes lineup, which showcased characters outside the Marvel universe; however, this range experienced limited commercial success. The company briefly continued producing lines such as TNA Wrestling and Curious George before Marvel discreetly began winding down operations; by the end of 2007, Toy Biz's website was taken offline.

Legacy

To commemorate two decades of the original Marvel Legends series, Hasbro released refreshed editions of Toy Biz’s figures in 2022.

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