McFarlane Toys has appointed Joshua Izzo as its new president, effective September 8, 2026. He joins from James Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment, where he spent nearly a decade in senior leadership and most recently served as executive vice president.
Todd McFarlane remains founder and CEO.
Izzo’s background includes Pokémon merchandise, Avatar publishing and licensed toys. He also knows McFarlane through its Avatar collectibles. For collectors following Hot Toys and other licensed figure lines, that experience is worth a closer look.
Who Is Joshua Izzo?
Izzo arrives with nearly three decades of experience spanning toys, licensing, entertainment and franchise development. His previous employers include 20th Century Fox Consumer Products, Capcom Entertainment, Hasbro and 4Kids Entertainment.
In the notes for his January 2025 4Kids Flashback interview, the podcast traces his career from Pokémon cards at Topps to marketing manager and head of sales at 4Kids. He later worked on Pokémon toys at Hasbro before moving to Capcom, Fox and Lightstorm.
His Avatar Work Went Beyond Merchandise
At Lightstorm, Izzo’s responsibilities included franchise strategy, business development and storytelling beyond the Avatar films. The appointment announcement describes work with creative, licensing, theatrical and strategic partners.
Penguin Random House credits Izzo and Simon Beecroft as the authors of The World of Avatar Updated Edition. The guide covers Pandora’s environments, creatures and Na’vi cultures across the first three films, as well as material from Ubisoft’s Frontiers of Pandora.
Izzo is also credited alongside other contributors on Avatar The Way of Water: The Visual Dictionary. His publisher biography describes a role ensuring that Avatar comics, novels, reference books and games stayed consistent with the filmmakers’ vision.
That work involves the smaller details collectors notice: which creatures belong in a setting, how a character’s equipment works and whether a design fits the story. It is useful experience for a company making figures and environments from those worlds.
He Has Already Worked With Todd McFarlane
On September 10, 2022, Izzo and Todd McFarlane appeared together at D23 Expo to present McFarlane’s Avatar collectibles. According to the franchise’s official website, their showcase included the World of Pandora Omatikaya Rainforest set, Jake Sully and Neytiri figures, and Mega Banshees. The event also introduced products based on Avatar: The Way of Water.
Izzo took part in that launch in his Lightstorm role. He is now joining the company that made the collectibles.
There Is an Alien Connection, Too
The Perfect Organism podcast interviewed Izzo in April 2023 about Alien Day. Its introduction identifies him as a former director of licensing at 20th Century Fox and credits him with bringing the fan celebration into an official studio event. It also credits Alaric Hahn with Alien Day’s earlier, informal beginnings.
What McFarlane Wants From Its New President
The company describes Izzo’s assignment as guiding its next phase of growth across toys, collectibles, licensing and entertainment.
Todd McFarlane emphasized Izzo’s industry relationships and experience with major entertainment brands, saying he brings “valuable inside knowledge of all aspects of branding and toy making.”
Co-owner Stephan Tetrault focused on expansion, saying there is still “a lot of room for McFarlane to grow.” He framed Izzo’s leadership as a way to develop the business while retaining what has already made it successful.
Izzo described himself as “excited and energized” about joining the team and expressed an ambition to build on the company’s existing position in toys and collectibles.
The Timing Matters as the DC Transition Approaches
The appointment comes as McFarlane approaches the end of its reported DC action figure license term. In October 2025, DCCollectors reported Todd McFarlane’s confirmation that the company would continue making DC Multiverse figures through the end of 2026, with Mattel’s collector offerings following in 2027.
Mattel has since provided a more specific timetable. Photographs from its San Diego Comic Con 2026 presentation show a planned preview at New York Comic Con 2026 and a full DC Collector line reveal event on January 1, 2027, through Mattel Creations.
McFarlane has not said the DC transition prompted Izzo’s appointment. The company’s announcement focuses on his experience and plans for growth.
McFarlane’s other lines include Spawn, Avatar, Marvel, Fallout, DOOM and Warhammer 40,000, all listed on its official site.
What Has Actually Changed for Collectors?
The announcement does not include new figures or licenses, changes to pricing or retailer exclusives, or a revised release calendar.
Collectors will want to know which lines get more characters and whether prices, accessories and availability change. Those answers will come with the product announcements.
One Sixth Society’s Take
Izzo has worked on both sides of the licensed-toy business, including a McFarlane line collectors have already seen. His experience with character reference books and Alien Day also shows a connection to the fans who buy these figures.
For us, the priorities are the same ones we discuss in our Hot Toys Reviews: a good likeness, accessories that belong with the character and a price that makes sense for what is in the box. We’d also like to see collectors able to find the figures they want without a hunt for retailer exclusives. Those are the changes we’ll be looking for.
For the latest sixth scale releases beyond this appointment, explore our Hot Toys Preorders.
