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Max Steel

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Max Steel
OwnerMattel
Years1999–2012, 2013–2022
Print publications
Graphic novel(s)
  • The Parasites
  • Hero Overload
  • Haywire
Films and television
Film(s)Max Steel
Animated series
Direct-to-video
Games
Video game(s)Max Steel: Covert Missions
Miscellaneous
Toy(s)Action figures
Official website
mattel.com/max-steel

Max Steel is an American media franchise produced and owned by Mattel. Originally a line of action figures sold from 1999 to 2022, it expanded into animated and live-action films, animated television series, comics, and video games.

The original Max Steel animated series aired from 2000 to 2002, followed by nine direct-to-video films released annually from 2004 to 2012. After the September 11 attacks, the line faded in the United States but became a blockbuster in South America. Mattel revived the brand in 2013 with a rebooted series on Disney XD and a 2016 live-action film, which was a critical and commercial failure.

Toy line

[edit]

Mattel introduced the Max Steel action-figure line in October 1999, ahead of the animated series's 2000 premiere; the earliest figures bore little resemblance to the show's character.[1][2] The figures recalled Hasbro's 12-inch G.I. Joe line, with most sets pairing versions of Max Steel with one or two villains and vehicles.[3] Mattel pitched the 12-inch figure against Hasbro's Action Man in a bid to revive the market for "realistic" boys' action figures; the lines were priced from $9.99 to $30, and in a best-case year each was projected to generate $100–150 million in sales.[4] After the September 11 attacks, Mattel scaled back its U.S. promotion of the line, whose espionage- and terrorism-themed play patterns it considered too dark for children; the brand faded in the United States but became a blockbuster in South America, where, according to Mattel, it outsold the company's Hot Wheels and Barbie lines.[5][6]

The original line ran until 2012. Mattel relaunched the dormant brand in 2013 as a multimedia-first franchise modeled on its Monster High line, leading with a website, an animated series, and graphic novels before redesigned toys returned to stores, with molded-in detail replacing the originals' cloth clothing and snap-on accessories.[6] The line was discontinued in 2022.

Television

[edit]

Netter Digital Entertainment produced the first animated series, built around Josh McGrath, a 19-year-old who gains super-powers and can transform into Max Steel.[7] Kids' WB! ordered 13 episodes of the 3D CGI series for a January 2000 debut,[8] and it premiered at number one in its time slot, scoring a 7.6 rating and 24 share among boys aged 6 to 11.[9] Josh works as an agent of the secret organization N-Tek against the rival group DREAD; his origin, shown in flashback, has him accidentally infected by experimental nanoprobes that N-Tek stabilizes with "transphasic energy," giving him the ability to transform into the stronger Max Steel.

The series ran for three seasons from 2000 to 2002, with production passing from Netter Digital to Foundation Imaging and then Mainframe Entertainment.[2] A re-imagining with the same title premiered on Disney XD on March 25, 2013.[2][10][11][12] Mattel co-produced the 26-episode series with FremantleMedia Enterprises, which handled its rollout across more than 100 territories.[13] In the reboot, the lead is renamed Maxwell "Max" McGrath, who generates unstable "Tachyon Unlimited Radiant Bio-Optimized" (TURBO) energy and stabilizes it by merging with an alien Ultralink named Steel to become Max Steel.

Accolades

[edit]

Max Steel was nominated at the British Academy Children's Awards in the "BAFTA Kids' Vote – Television" category.[14]

Films

[edit]

Direct-to-video films

[edit]

Mattel released a series of direct-to-video animated films annually from 2004 to 2012, followed by further animated films through 2017.[2]

Direct-to-video films
TitleYearRuntime
Endangered Species200473 min
Forces of Nature200554 min
Countdown200653 min
Dark Rival200753 min
Bio Crisis200849 min
The Mutant Menace200949 min
The Toxic Legion201050 min
Makino's Revenge201151 min
Monstrous Alliance20126 × 12 min
The Wrath of Makino201544 min
The Dawn of Morphos201544 min
Maximum Morphos201544 min
Team Turbo201644 min
Team Turbo Fusion-Tek201666 min
Turbo-Charged201744 min
Turbo-Warriors201744 min

Live-action film

[edit]

In July 2009, Paramount Pictures and producer Joe Roth optioned the film rights for a planned live-action adaptation.[15] That December, Paramount cast Taylor Lautner in the lead role as Josh McGrath.[16][17][18] However, by March 2010, Lautner had dropped out of the film in favor of Hasbro and Universal's Stretch Armstrong.[19] Due to the relaunch of Max Steel in 2013, all plans for a live action film were suspended. On August 2, 2013, it was revealed that Dolphin Entertainment were working on a Max Steel film. Christopher Yost was announced as writer, whereas Stewart Hendler was confirmed as director. The film follows along the plotline of the reboot and not the original series'. The film was distributed by Open Road Films and was originally planned for released in 2014.[20][21][22] On February 6, 2014, the studio had cast Ben Winchell as Max Steel and Ana Villafane as his love interest Sofia Martinez.[23] On April 29, 2014, actor Andy Garcia was cast in the role of Dr. Miles Edwards, a brilliant and mysterious scientist.[24] On May 20, 2014, actor Mike Doyle was cast in a role.[25] The film was released in the United States by Open Road Films on October 14, 2016. It grossed $6.3 million worldwide against a $10 million budget[26][27] and was a critical failure, holding a 0% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 21 reviews[28] and a score of 22 on Metacritic.[29] Variety's Joe Leydon called it "a ponderous and preposterous sci-fi action-adventure",[30] and The Hollywood Reporter's Frank Scheck called it "as lifeless as the action hero it's based on".[31] Max Steel figures appear in the 2026 film Masters of the Universe.

Comics

[edit]

When the line launched in 1999, Mattel distributed a promotional comic, Take it to the Max, to introduce the character. In 2013, VIZ Media's Perfect Square imprint began a graphic-novel series set in the rebooted continuity with The Parasites, written by The Stuff of Legend co-creator Brian Smith and illustrated by Jan Wijngaard;[32] two further volumes, Hero Overload[33] and Haywire, written by Tom Pinchuk,[34] followed in 2014.

Video games

[edit]

Mattel Interactive published the video game Max Steel: Covert Missions, developed by Treyarch, for the Dreamcast in December 2000.[35][36] An online game tied to the toy line later ran on the official Max Steel website, with codes packaged with figures from 2007 to 2011 unlocking in-game missions.

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "INTERACTIVE --- New on the Web: Interactive Animation | Los Angeles Business Journal". June 18, 2000. Archived from the original on December 28, 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Zahed, Ramin (March 24, 2013). "Max Steel Debuts on Disney XD This Monday". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on November 18, 2024. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  3. ↑ Barnes, Julian E. (September 26, 2001). "A NATION CHALLENGED: THE TOYS; Heroic Rescue Figures May Top Holiday Wish Lists". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 13, 2024.
  4. ↑ Bannon, Lisa; Hechinger, John (March 8, 2000). "Hasbro and Mattel Launch 'Realistic' Action Figures". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on September 27, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Max Steel Movie Gets New Life at Open Road Films as Mattel Reboots Toy Line". Variety. July 18, 2013. Archived from the original on December 5, 2024. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  6. 1 2 Schmidt, Gregory (January 28, 2013). "Mattel Is Reviving Max Steel Action Figure for a New Media Age". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 23, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Max Steel Makes National Debut in Times Square". Bloomberg.com. February 11, 2000.
  8. ↑ Kilmer, David (October 20, 1999). "Kids' WB! orders Max Steel". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on November 11, 2024. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Max Steel Ratings Solid". Animation World Network. March 15, 2000. Archived from the original on November 12, 2024. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  10. ↑ Arrant, Chris (October 5, 2012). "Teen Action-Hero "Max Steel" Makes Global Series Debut". Cartoon Brew. Archived from the original on March 2, 2026. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
  11. ↑ "Disney XD Acquires new CG "Max Steel" Series for 2013". BSCkids. October 16, 2012. Archived from the original on January 6, 2013. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
  12. ↑ "Max Steel | Disney XD". Disney XD. Archived from the original on August 20, 2013. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
  13. ↑ "Mattel Rebooting Max Steel Property With New Animated TV Series". Deadline Hollywood. January 2013. Archived from the original on September 5, 2025. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  14. ↑ "Children's in 2014". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. November 23, 2014. Archived from the original on October 11, 2024. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
  15. ↑ Moody, Annemarie (July 13, 2009). "Max Steel Action Figure to be Paramount Film?". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on November 12, 2024. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  16. ↑ "Taylor Lautner To Be Paramount's Next Big Action Star". Deadline Hollywood. December 2009. Archived from the original on August 31, 2025. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  17. ↑ "Paramount To Make Max Steel Movie | /Film". Slashfilm.com. July 12, 2009. Archived from the original on April 29, 2010. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
  18. ↑ Siegel, Tatiana (December 4, 2009). "Taylor Lautner to star in 'Max Steel'". Retrieved September 5, 2013.
  19. ↑ Brodesser, Claude (February 26, 2010). "Vulture Exclusive: Taylor Lautner Drops Mattel's Max Steel to Make Hasbro's Stretch Armstrong – Vulture". Nymag.com. Archived from the original on March 1, 2010. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
  20. ↑ "Max Steel Movie Moves Forward". MovieWeb. Movieweb.com. August 2, 2013. Archived from the original on August 4, 2013. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
  21. ↑ "Max Steel Movie Moving Forward". Comingsoon.net. August 2, 2013. Archived from the original on December 12, 2013. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
  22. ↑ "MAX STEEL Movie to Be Developed by Mattel and Dolphin Entertainment". Collider. September 4, 2013. Archived from the original on December 8, 2025. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
  23. ↑ "Berlin: Ben Winchell, Ana Villafane Join 'Max Steel'". The Hollywood Reporter. February 6, 2014. Archived from the original on February 11, 2021. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
  24. ↑ "Andy Garcia Joins 'Max Steel'; Dejon LaQuake Cast In 'Max'". Deadline. April 29, 2014. Archived from the original on March 1, 2026. Retrieved April 29, 2014.
  25. ↑ Kroll, Justin (May 20, 2014). "'Jersey Boys' Actor Joins Open Road's 'Max Steel'". Variety. Archived from the original on November 27, 2025. Retrieved May 20, 2014.
  26. ↑ "Max Steel (2016)". Box Office Mojo. IMDbPro. Archived from the original on February 25, 2026. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  27. ↑ "Max Steel (2016) – Financial Information". The Numbers. Nash Information Services. Archived from the original on October 2, 2025. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  28. ↑ "Max Steel". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Archived from the original on April 11, 2026. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  29. ↑ "Max Steel Reviews". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Archived from the original on September 21, 2025. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  30. ↑ Leydon, Joe (October 14, 2016). "'Max Steel' Review: Mattel Toy Makes Lousy Superhero Movie". Variety. Archived from the original on May 19, 2026. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  31. ↑ Scheck, Frank (October 14, 2016). "'Max Steel': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 19, 2026. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  32. ↑ Smith, Brian (2013). Max Steel, Vol. 1: The Parasites. San Francisco: Viz Media. ISBN 978-1-4215-5523-2.
  33. ↑ Moore, B. Clay (2014). Max Steel, Vol. 2: Hero Overload. Viz Media. ISBN 978-1-4215-5726-7.
  34. ↑ "Pinchuk Brings Mattel's "Max Steel" To Comic Book Life". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on November 3, 2025. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  35. ↑ "Max Steel". IGN. December 7, 2000. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  36. ↑ "Max Steel". November 2021. Archived from the original on March 11, 2026.
[edit]
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