Six things we want to see from LEGO in 2024

With 2024 mere hours away, here’s our dream list of six things we definitely want to see from the LEGO Group next year.

It’s impossible to predict what might happen over the next 12 months, although that’s not going to stop us from doing some serious crystal ball-gazing and guessing what might be next for the LEGO Group in 2024. From new themes and unexpected sets to video game releases and major company-wide announcements, who knows what the future has in store for our favourite brick manufacturer?

With that in mind, we’ve compiled this ultimate dream list of six things we want see happen next year, although whether or not any of them will actually come to fruition remains to be seen. For now, we can at least imagine the following have all appeared by the end of next year and that the world is a much better place with them in it…

6 – LEGO Super Mario minifigures

As things stand at the moment, the future is looking a little hazy for the LEGO Super Mario theme. Multiple sets based around Nintendo’s famous plumber and his video game pals have been released over the last few years, but they’re all due to retire next summer. That means fans will either have to kiss goodbye to the theme for good, or that the LEGO Group has something else up its sleeves.   

Rumours have long been swirling that LEGO Super Mario minifigures might be on the cards at some point, but that remains pure speculation for now. However, there’s no denying that such a release would undoubtedly be popular with fans and collectors alike, even if Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, Wario and the rest of the gang were ultimately only available as a blind-boxed CMF release.

5 – Celebrating LEGO Star Wars/
Episode I anniversaries

Here’s the biggie for next year, with 2024 not only celebrating the 25th anniversary of Episode I, but also marking nearly three decades of LEGO Star Wars. While we’re in no doubt that the LEGO Group will be pulling out all of the stops to ensure both events are as huge as they should be, there’s an opportunity for the company to not only revisit classic sets of yesteryear, but also deliver models and minifigures we’ve never seen before.

Back in 1999, fans were treated to eight LEGO Star Wars releases, the first such builds based on the iconic franchise. Many of those sets have never been rereleased since or could be improved with more modern pieces and building techniques, making 2024 the ideal year to reimagine such models as 7151 Sith Infiltrator, 7161 Gungan Sub and 7171 Mos Espa Pod Race.

Recent rumours suggest we might already be getting 75380 Boonta Eve Podrace Diorama and 75381 Buildable Droideka in 2024, with 30680 AAT polybag now confirmed, but that’s just scratching the surface of what’s possible.

In addition, the LEGO Group has the opportunity to give fans updated minifigures of many characters from The Phantom Menace and create ships and settings that have never been available before. With that in mind we want to see a UCS Droid Control Ship, Trade Federation MTT and Republic Cruiser, more podracers and pilots that never made the cut in the original waves and a massive Naboo/Theed playset arrive next year, and that’s just for starters…

4 – LEGO Doctor Who

Doctor Who celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2023 with three David Tennant-led specials, the launch of a whole Whoniverse of shows and the arrival of Ncuti Gatwa as the 15th incarnation of the Time Lord. Thanks to a licensing deal with Disney, the BBC show is also poised to reach a new global audience in 2024, with a suitably-impressive budget to back up the brand.

That makes next year the perfect time for the LEGO Group to launch a dedicated Doctor Who theme, with multiple minifigures and sets from across six decades of time travelling adventures. That might not sound as far-fetched as it seems either, as the company has already released the likes of 21304 Doctor Who, a 526-piece LEGO Ideas set that arrived in 2015, plus two packs launched to support LEGO Dimensions.

3 – New CMF packaging

It’s no secret that the LEGO Group’s updated CMF packaging has gone down like a lead balloon this year. The baffling decision to switch from foil bags to blind boxes has caused no end of fan fury and there’s still no clear method of working out exactly which characters you might actually be getting inside the obstructive cardboard packaging.

So far we’ve seen 71039 Marvel Series 2 frustrate collectors and shop shelves littered with decimated and torn boxes. The same looks likely to happen when 71045 Series 25 arrives on January 1, 2024, with the ability to successfully track down all 12 minifigures once again hampered by the decidedly unfriendly cardboard wrapping.

Unfortunately, the LEGO Group seems committed to the new packaging, with any possible changes unlikely to happen any time soon and no concrete plans from the sustainability team to do so. If a change were to occur, the team has stated it would take at least three to four series to implement, suggesting we may be stuck with the cardboard box packaging throughout 2024 and even into 2025.

Paper bags were considered at one point, similar to those used for free gifts on licensed LEGO magazines, but the material used to create the bags didn’t prove to be as durable as either foil packs or cardboard boxes. The sustainability team stated that paper bags would not have withstood being handled multiple times, with tests resulting in the bags creasing and tearing.

2 – LEGO Fortnite sets and minifigures

Forget blue sky thinking, this is one that seems more of a no-brainer and just a matter of time. LEGO Fortnite has proven to be a smash hit with players around the world and is just the first such release to emerge from the LEGO Group’s collaboration with Epic Games. In terms of physical LEGO Fortnite sets, all we’ve received so far is a Loot Llama promotional build, but it does feel like the next logical step would be for a full LEGO Fortnite theme to be announced.

Considering that more than 1,200 minifigure versions of Fortnite characters are already confirmed to be arriving in the game, there certainly wouldn’t be any shortage of potential fan-favourites to choose from. Throw in a brick-built Battle Bus and multiple island locations, plus the potential for licensed Star Wars, Marvel and DC minifigures to be part of any such possible waves that might be released, and it’s not too much of a stretch to imagine a LEGO Fortnite theme could be a massive money-spinner.

1 – ’00s remakes

We’ve seen plenty of retro LEGO releases arrive over the last few years, with many GWP sets recreating classic models from the ‘80s and 90s. Now we feel it’s time for the ‘00s to get its due with a decent selection of remakes or all-new additions to some bygone themes of yesteryear.

For starters there’s 7079 Drawbridge Defense, a 295-piece LEGO Castle set that was released in 2009. Considering we saw the likes of 10305 Lion Knights’ Castle in 2022 and 40601 Majisto’s Magical Workshop in 2023, an updated version of this classic release complete with Jester, Gold Knight, Crown Queen and black Skeleton Warrior minifigures would seem to be a no-brainer.

Or how about 65537 Classic Freight Train, part of a product collections series that was usually sold bundled with other packs? Those included 10117 Hopper Wagon, 10013 Open Freight Wagon, 3741 Large Locomotive and more, with the main engine being electrically-powered. In recent years we’ve seen the likes of 76405 Hogwarts Express Collectors’ Edition and 21344 The Orient Express Train shunt in to view, with fans of brick-based locomotives clamouring for more train-related sets.

Then there are such themes as Galidor, LEGO Studios, Knights Kingdom, Alpha Team or Factory, all of which have dedicated fanbases that would love to see some of their favourite sets reimagined and relaunched. With 40581 BIONICLE Tahu and Takua having arrived as a GWP earlier in 2023, there’s no reason why similar models from previous themes couldn’t potentially be revisited by the LEGO Group at some point down the road.

To find out our thoughts on all the highs and lows of this year, check out our selection of hand-crafted LEGO 2023 in review features right here.

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