Fans of The Mandalorian and Baby Yoda have been awaiting merch for the scene-stealing character for some time. It turns out that when merchandise for the beloved Baby Yoda arrives, less than expected may be available this year. If you think it has to do with the well-documented and overwhelming demand for Baby Yoda toys, think again. It is because of the coronavirus.
Yes, production on Baby Yoda merchandise is facing delays due to the coronavirus. CNN reports that Hasbro has had its supply chain disrupted by the coronavirus outbreak. While it has not hurt The Mandalorian’s Baby Yoda merch specifically yet, that could change.
Baby Yoda made his debut back in November, and fans have been clamoring for merchandise ever since. Disney notoriously held back from producing any merch as to not blow the secret of Baby Yoda’s introduction in The Mandalorian’s first season. From that moment, Baby Yoda has subsequently captured the love and admiration of many, including the U.S. Army.
Baby Yoda got a shoutout from former Disney CEO Bob Iger, who acknowledged Baby Yoda’s popularity had even taken him by surprise. If that was not enough of an indication of how popular Baby Yoda has become, Iger likened The Mandalorian star to Leonardo DiCaprio.
Fast forward several months and fans have gotten a glimpse at a plush Baby Yoda. If that is not enough to get you excited, Disney has also unveiled a toy that talks and uses The Force. Seriously! Once Baby Yoda merch arrives, the toys will undoubtedly enter homes all over the world, if not quite the galaxy just yet.
As time goes on, the impact of the coronavirus outbreak and how much of an effect it will have on the production of Baby Yoda merch will become more evident. In the near future, it is does not seem like it will be that much of an issue for those awaiting Baby Yoda toys.
The same cannot be said for other projects. Filming on Mission: Impossible 7 has been affected, and there is talk of the coronavirus potentially leading to the cancellation of the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. For now, though, the outbreak does not seem to be hurting production on The Mandalorian’s Baby Yoda merchandise.
The desire for Baby Yoda merch has been strong ever since the pop culture phenom made his debut. Disney’s commitment to keeping one of The Mandalorian’s most massive secrets cost the juggernaut a nice amount of money. Anything for Baby Yoda! Considering the delay, homemade sellers even tried to get in on the action before Disney initiated a crackdown.
After going without Baby Yoda merch for the holidays, it will arrive. There just may be less of it when the year is said and done. Of course, the most important thing is people remaining healthy. I cannot speak for Baby Yoda, but I can imagine he would want The Force to be with everyone to get better. The toys will come eventually.
You can watch Baby Yoda toddling into action during the first season of The Mandalorian, which is streaming on Disney+. The life and times of Baby Yoda will continue in Season 2. It is set to arrive in fall 2020, so well after this winter and spring’s premieres.
