Hasbro Bet on ‘Black Panther’ Because Kids Said It Was Cool

  • Research showed kids loved the character’s armor and claws
  • Blockbuster movies don’t always translate to merchandise hits

Black Panther Toys

Hasbro Inc. didn’t need to read the Zeitgeist to predict more than a year ago that “Black Panther’’ would be a monster hit.

The company’s expectation had little to do with the movie’s groundbreaking depiction of a black superhero from an African utopia.