The LEGO Group have made a very funny jab at long-time LEGO fans in its San Diego Comic-Con booth – by cancelling a flight to one of Bionicle’s most iconic locations.
This year, the LEGO Group are putting the spotlight on its two SMART Play lines at Comic-Con, with LEGO Star Wars already releasing earlier this year and LEGO Pokémon arriving next month.
The entire booth has been transformed into an airport, with visitors able to choose between two destinations: the Pokémon Lab or the Mos Eisley Spaceport. However, eagle-eyed LEGO fans quickly spotted that the airport’s departures board was packed with references to LEGO history.
Each gate number referenced a LEGO set number, while the destinations linked back to specific sets. For example, 11389 Project Hail Mary and 76457 Hogsmeade Village – Collectors' Edition both appeared on the board, alongside several other recent releases.
Not every destination was specifically LEGO set related, though, with some referencing iconic locations from LEGO’s licensed themes, including Isla Nublar from Jurassic Park and Jurassic World, as well as Hoth from Star Wars.
Most of the flights on the board were either on time, delayed or had already arrived. However, one destination stood out as the only cancellation: Metru Nui.
For longtime LEGO fans, that name will immediately mean something. Metru Nui is the setting of Bionicle 2: Legends of Metru Nui, the second animated Bionicle film, which was released in 2004 as a prequel to Bionicle: Mask of Light.
LEGO Bionicle remains one of the company’s most beloved cult themes. Originally launching in 2001, the theme ran until 2010 before being cancelled. It later returned for a brief revival in 2015 and was brought back again in 2023 through a LEGO gift-with-purchase.
The Metru Nui flight also included another deep-cut reference for fans, with the gate number listed as 8537 – a nod to 8537 Nui-Rama, one of the original Bionicle sets released in 2001.
This is far from the first time the LEGO Group has acknowledged Bionicle’s enduring popularity. Earlier this year, 71052 Series 29 included a Bionicle cosplayer minifigure, giving fans another small reminder of the theme’s legacy.
By including Metru Nui on the Comic-Con departures board, the LEGO Group have once again shown that they know how much fans still love Bionicle – while playfully teasing that a return trip to the iconic island city is currently, unfortunately, cancelled.
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