LEGO Marvel’s growth through the lens of Ghost Rider and Hulkbusters
Believe it or not, LEGO Marvel has come a long way over the past decade, shifting and reacting to new expectations and opportunities.
Following our reviews for most of the LEGO Marvel sets launching next month, we’re stacking two of the 2026 releases next to their much older counterparts to see how the theme has changed and how the shifts in these builds showcase adapting strategies in the superhero theme.
Read on for a comparison and analysis of 76335 Spider-Man vs. Ghost Rider Motorcycle and 76343 Epic Battle: Hulkbuster vs. The Hulk compared to their prior sets.
Ghost Rider
The first LEGO Ghost Rider bike (pictured on the left in both images above) was released as part of 2016’s 76058 Spider-Man: Ghost Rider Team-Up. The 217-piece set features a formidable bike build, but one that is dwarfed by the mech-compatible 76245 Ghost Rider Mech & Bike from 2023 (in the middle), at 264 pieces. In fairness, this bike is designed at an entirely different scale, making its minifigure much more comparable to other Ghost Rider models rather than the bike itself.
Then comes 2026’s 76335 Spider-Man vs. Ghost Rider Motorcycle at 72 pieces (on the right), showcasing another drastic shift in the size of these motorcycle models. There is a fourth LEGO Ghost Rider model, 76173 Spider-Man and Ghost Rider vs. Carnage, but that’s based on a different version of the character who drives a car instead. It’s also not part of our collection, leaving it out of this LEGO Ghost Rider comparison.
The difference in size between the 2016, 2023 and 2025 Ghost Rider LEGO motorcycles demonstrates the shifting attitudes of the LEGO Marvel design team and its audience, as well as the latter’s expectations for the theme. The first LEGO Ghost Rider set offered an opportunity to experiment, starting with a mid-sized build that focused more on featuring fire throughout the bike, in turn impacting the appearance of the vehicle and its size. Though a unique look, this decision ultimately leaves the bike looking comically oversized, which, depending on the context of your scene, could be ideal or less so.
LEGO Marvel fans seeking a Ghost Rider bike rooted in a more realistic size didn’t find exactly what they were looking for in 2016’s set, but as the first attempt, it was still a chance to collect the initial Ghost Rider minifigure, appearing with a damaged outfit. 2023’s Ghost Rider model entered the scene following a major focus on character mechs in LEGO Marvel, something which continues to this day.
Despite the continuation of character mechs, we have not seen character mech-sized vehicles continue. Whether the reception to 76245 Ghost Rider Mech & Bike caused this is unclear, but at least the minifigure was an appropriate depiction of Johnny Blaze’s version of the character. This minifigure is notably the most clean of the trio, appearing undamaged but still with the flame piece permanently attached to the head.
2026’s 76335 Spider-Man vs. Ghost Rider Motorcycle comes in as the cheapest of the LEGO Ghost Rider models, and also the smallest. Despite this difference, the set may well be the most appealing to older consumers since the bike is of a more realistic size for dioramas and scenes. The cost of just £8.99 / $9.99 / €9.99 also suggests demand for this character in an even more affordable model, innovating the most with its minifigure as well.
The third Johnny Blaze minifigure is the most unique, complete with a flaming face and the long-awaited detachable flame head accessory. It ensures that Ghost Rider is still available, but without stepping on the toes of LEGO collectors and adding a third similar Ghost Rider minifigure to fans’ collections. Overall, the evolution of Ghost Rider models showcases how LEGO Marvel appears to be shifting towards more grounded builds (or as grounded as superheroes can get) that also appeal strongly to older consumers. The latter point is something that will crop up in our next LEGO Marvel 2026 comparison.
Hulkbusters
2026’s 76343 Epic Battle: Hulkbuster vs. The Hulk returns to Avengers: Age of Ultron early next year, revisiting a specific Hulkbuster design last seen in 2015’s 76031 The Hulk Buster Smash. The comparison between these Hulkbuster builds presents several stark (excuse the pun) differences, but for the sake of examining evolution, we’ve also added 2018’s 76104 The Hulkbuster Smash-Up to the selection.
Looking at just 76031 The Hulk Buster Smash and 76343 Epic Battle: Hulkbuster vs. The Hulk, the two models of the same Hulkbuster design showcase how LEGO Marvel has grown over the past decade, embracing a much higher level of detail, but with fewer moving parts overall.
You can’t bend the elbows of the 2026 Hulkbuster, but in turn, the joints are much less visible than they were in 2015. This is largely due to the retirement of the constraction building system and its elements following the end of Hero Factory and Bionicle’s reboot. Notice the lack of shooter elements in the 2026 set, too.
The back of the two figures demonstrates a different approach to LEGO Marvel sets, as well. The 2015 model has many visible joints and anti-stud surfaces from the back, an angle from which you are not intended to regularly view or play with the set. By comparison, the 2026 set’s Hulkbuster is much cleaner, with only four anti-stud surfaces visible and two joints. Overall, the 2026 model looks more detailed and more accurate, but isn’t quite as playable as the 2015 build.
The likely reason for this change is that LEGO Marvel’s new Hulkbuster is not intended primarily for play. It’s part of a set in what is being dubbed the ‘Epic Moment’ collection, featuring a display stand for the Hulkbuster and additional Hulk figure to recreate a still moment from Age of Ultron. The goal of the 2015 model was to inspire fans to recreate the scene for themselves through play. Where 76031 The Hulk Buster Smash focused on play first, 76343 Epic Battle: Hulkbuster vs. The Hulk is made for display first, with 76104 The Hulkbuster Smash-Up acting as a mid-point between them.
76104 The Hulkbuster Smash-Up looks better, though not perfect from the back, and has more moving parts thanks to the availability of the constraction system. Yet it hides the visible joints better than the 2015 model and opts for a higher level of detail with numerous stickers. It’s worth noting that 76343 Epic Battle: Hulkbuster vs. The Hulk has fewer stickers overall.
Outside of a San Diego Comic-Con exclusive model, the idea of a display-forward experience was something that was unheard of in LEGO Marvel back in 2015, but now you’ll find similar dioramas across various ranges. From LEGO Star Wars to even NINJAGO, the LEGO Group is evidently well aware of its older audience and the potential of sets targeted towards them.
It’s not a new concept for 2026 either, previously existing in LEGO Marvel through more expensive and 18+ creations, but 76343 Epic Battle: Hulkbuster vs. The Hulk offers a similar product for just £44.99 / $49.99 / €49.99. Overall, LEGO Marvel has changed quite a lot since 2015, gradually shifting to embrace display models, its older audience and different budgets.
These LEGO sets were provided by the LEGO Group for review purposes.
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