The once ironclad ties between toys and tentpole movies are loosening.

The historically predictable tentpole film release schedule was thrown into chaos during the pandemic, leading some toymakers to reduce their reliance on film premieres to drive sales. Instead, many licensees are shifting focus to evergreen brands, streaming content, and even household staples like cereal brands because they aren’t tied to release dates.

For example, while The Noble Collection will launch a 7.5-inch Bendyfig action figure tied to the March 4 release of The Batman, it will also has a figure and key chain based on actor Ben Affleck’s Batman that appeared in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Justice League(2017). And Noble developed a Minions chess set for launch this year that now coincides with Minions: The Rise of Gru (July 1), the launch of which was delayed twice from its original 2020 release date.

“When products are available, Noble will continue as scheduled and if the films get pushed back it won’t affect those launches,” a Noble spokesperson said. “It is nice when things align, but Noble can only hold back on product for so long and maybe when the film is released there is an extra push.”

As if to underscore a break with the reliance on tentpole films, toymakers like Mattel, Hasbro and Jakks Pacific gave equal weight to tentpole and non-film-related IPs in their line previews (which took place virtually following the cancellation of New York Toy Fair).

During an investor presentation on Friday, Mattel announced it will expand Hot Wheels RC vehicles with products keyed to new film releases The Batman, Jurassic World 3: Dominion (June 10), and Lightning (June 17). But the toyco also saw sales of Jurassic World-licensed products double its gross billings in 2021 despite there not being a new film.

“We’re proving through category management and application of our playbook that [we] can develop evergreen franchises and grow even in non-theatrical years,” said Mattel President Richard Dickson.

While Jakks is a licensee for the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 2 film that is being released on April 8, it sold three million Sonic action figures last year without a new movie, Jakks CEO Stephen Berman said.  Jakks also shipped more than 11 million Nintendo Super Mario figures in 2021 without a film to support the IP.

For its part, Hasbro highlighted non-film licenses for the likes of Nerf (Fortnite, Minecraft, and Roblox) and Star Wars/Boba Fett (starship) in addition to products based on its own IPs, including Peppa Pig, PJ Masks, Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering.

In the case of Jada Toys, which has branched out from its traditional base in die-cast cars, reducing reliance on tentpoles has meant that while The Batman metal figures will be available, there also are plastic action figures based on General Mills’ Franken Berry and Count Chocula cereal and other non-film brands. It also will ship licensed action figures based on the classic Wolfman, Invisible Man, and other Warner Bros. characters as well as an RC vehicle based on Moonbug Entertainment’s YouTube brand CoComelon.

“Logistical troubles exacerbated the situation, as did Covid,” said Amy Austin, VP of licensing and marketing at Jada. “With people not going to the theater to see the movies and theatrical releases [being] pushed, there was no way to secure products in time. But what you will always have is brands like Marvel that are evergreen.”