LEGO 76262 Captain America’s Shield looks good but fragile
LEGO Marvel’s upcoming 76262 Captain America’s Shield sounds surprisingly flimsy according to early reviews as well as understandably repetitive.
As August 1 nears, so too does the next massive LEGO Marvel prop recreation. Following 76209 Thor’s Hammer and, to an extent 76215 Black Panther, 76262 Captain America’s Shield‘s early reviews have surfaced, painting a mixed picture of the red white and blue set.
Measuring 47cm wide and 48cm tall, or just with a diameter of 47cm off the stand here’s what reviewers have to say about 76262 Captain America’s Shield ahead of August 1, 2023.
— Set details —
Theme: LEGO Marvel Set name: 76262 Captain America’s Shield Release: August 1, 2023
Price: £179.99 / $199.99 / €209.99 Pieces: 3,128
It pairs great with 76209 Thor’s Hammer
As expected, and suggested in the minifigure and Avengers: Endgame, 76262 Captain America’s Shield looks good next to 76209 Thor’s Hammer, almost like they were designed with each other in mind.
“The two accessories are not in scale, but their similar sizes ensure they look superb together on display,” notes Brickset.
The scale between the two builds is different, but it’s unlikely that most guests appreciating your LEGO Marvel display will be able to tell. However, the stand’s between the two offer conflicting designs, which might be more noticeable.
“I wish the display base underneath Mjölnir was nearer in style to the black structure supporting the shield, which would truly unify them,” continues Brickset.
The lack of a grip for 76262 Captain America’s Shield is also mentioned in every review we saw, unlike 76209 Thor’s Hammer which can be lifted and, with destruction ensured, used.
“What I did find disappointing to find out is that the shield sits mainly within the base and that there is no way for you to hold it at the back,” shares Brick Banter. “No handle, no Captain America with a mini-shield.”
MiniSuperHeroesToday agrees with the sentiment, stating, “There’s no way, in my opinion, to safely modify this to make it wearable against your arm because this centrepiece holds everything together but is flimsy.”
It’s an unfortunate aspect of 76262 Captain America’s Shield compared to 76209 Thor’s Hammer but at least it’s suited to display.
The minifigure is disappointing
Compared again to 76209 Thor’s Hammer, the older set featured an exclusive minifigure before 76248 The Avengers Quinjet arrived. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for 76262 Captain America’s Shield.
“The Captain America minifigure has appeared twice before and looks good, but this was an ideal opportunity to produce either his classic World War II attire or the white-accented stealth suit from Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” says Brickset, noting that the minifigure is still high-quality but not taking full advantage of the set’s potential budget.
Even the way that Captain America is displayed on the base is described as disappointing and with Mjolnir and the shield equipped, it’s also inaccurate as it depicts his Age of Ultron costume.
“What is a bit of a shame is how is attached to the base. A weird translucent piece placement that makes me think that this was more a last-minute addition to the set rather than a planned idea.” speculates Brick Banter.
In fairness, 76209 Thor’s Hammer‘s stand has no specific space for its minifigure, but it can be stored inside the hammer out of view.
The shaping is excellent, just avoid the back
The reviews agree that the shaping of 76262 Captain America’s Shield is mostly excellent, with some complaints made about the gaps in the bricks compared to custom builds.
However, Brick Banter states that there’s a downside to the accurate appearance from the front, “This clean and smooth aesthetic of the build does not carry over to the rear. This is a set made to be seen from one angle and one angle alone.”
It’s not just the round nature of the shield that is praised on the front though as the white star’s build is highlighted too.
“I do think that dealing with the way that it is, this does work pretty well and it’s an ingenious build with all the clip pieces to get the angles going,” states MiniSuperHeroesToday.
The YouTuber goes on to mention how a price and piece count increase might have helped the set’s gaps and its fragility, which other reviews note too, “I would have rather this had been a $400 set and movie prop size and get rid of all of these breaks. Not only do we have these cracks in the shield, but it makes it a little bit weak.”
Either way, the LEGO Marvel design team has opted for a front-focused model and other than a few complaints, it’s overall positive regarding the red, white and blue side of the set.
The build is, understandably, repetitive
Just looking at the model, you could have guessed that it would have been a repetitive model and early reviews confirm this to be true with every review mentioning the unfortunate nature of the construction process.
“This build is repetitious to a T,” shares Brick Banter. “And I can easily say that this was not an enjoyable build experience. Unless you enjoy a production line, then it’s very enticing.”
“You build these one by one and it is a very monotonous, repetitive build because of that because you’re building the same thing 18 to 20 times in a row,” states MiniSuperHeroesToday. “It makes for a very nice finished product, but in the minutiae of getting it built, it is a bit annoying honestly.”
Brickset also agrees but highlights that the build could have been more repetitive, “Of course, the nature of Captain America’s shield results in considerable repetition during its construction. This process is not as tedious as I expected though because the frame and the curved surface are assembled separately.
“The frame involves building lots of small structures repeatedly, but I prefer this to duplicating larger assemblies, like those in 10276 Colosseum.”
No matter how the LEGO designers approached the circular shield, this set was always going to be repetitive but at least we now know so we can prepare accordingly.
Support the work that Brick Fanatics does by buying your LEGO sets using our affiliate links. Thank you!
Author Profile
- LEGO has been a part of my life ever since I was young. It all started when my brother passed down 7657 AT-ST to me. It’s guided me through my early years, through school and eventually through my degree in journalism. I still have all my collection proudly on display, including my many NINJAGO sets, my favourite of all the LEGO Group’s themes. Outside of Brick Fanatics I am an avid gamer and enjoy a good game of Dungeons & Dragons.
