Lego Announces 'Lego Dimensions' Game with DC Heroes

Lego has announced a new franchise-crossing video game that, like Skylanders, Nintendo's amiibo figures and Disney Infinity, uses real toys placed on a special pad to import the characters into the game. Lego Dimensions, from Warner Bros and TT Games, will launch with a $99.99 starter pack that includes Wyldstyle from The Lego Movie, Lord of the Rings' Gandalf, and Batman and a Batmobile --- and because it's a Lego game, players will get to construct the game's portal gateway out of Lego bricks.

According to a Warner Bros press release, the two other DC characters available this year are Wonder Woman and Cyborg. Robin and The Riddler also show up in some promotional screenshots. Considering the vast array of characters that appear in the Lego Batman games and had cameos in The Lego Movie, it's safe to say that's probably just the start. Green Lantern seems like a shoo-in, at least.

Non-DC characters in the game include Marty McFly, Legolas, Ninjago characters and Wizard of Oz characters.

Fans of The Lego Movie will recall that it featured a ton of DC Comics characters, but no Marvel superheroes, despite the existence of multiple Marvel Lego playsets and video games. Lego Dimensions seems to follow that pattern, too.

Why no Marvel characters? Probably because DC's parent company Warner Bros is publishing the game. That didn't stop Warner Bros. from publishing Lego Marvel Superheroes (in conjunction with Disney Interactive Studios), but Marvel characters already appear in a competing toys-to-life franchise, Disney Infinity. Chances are good that either Disney or Warner Bros balked at the idea of the characters appearing in a rival franchise, and at the possibility of DC and Marvel characters sharing an environment. The days of Marvel and DC characters appearing in anything together seem to be over.

Of course, TT could still announce that Spider-Man will show up in the game in 2016. Anything could happen.

Design-wise,the Batman that appears in the trailer for the game isn't the one from The Lego Movie. He's the New 52 Batman from Lego Batman 3. So clearly the Dimensions of the title isn't just about toys jumping through a portal and yelling at Joel McHale. We're talking about multiple, multiple universes here.

Begin your theorizing now, and prepare your wallets for the onslaught that's coming.