Culture on My Mind
The 2023 LEGO Avengers Advent Calendar
March 8, 2024

It’s time to talk about the 2022 LEGO Guardians of the Galaxy Advent Calendar!

My family has been doing these LEGO advent calendars since 2015 and I chronicle the daily builds on Instagram. Each of the annual box sets has been spotlighted on this site. These boxes contain twenty-four unique small builds, many of which are abstract, along with exclusive mini-figures and whimsical winter-themed spins on franchise staples. This box is themed after the Marvel Cinematic Universe, specifically on the Infinity Saga which celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2023.

Goodness… did Iron Man really come out that long ago?

This set continues the trend of building a scene or a world for the minifigures within, but it also dives a bit more into the building of abstract versions of ships and elements from the property like the Star Wars calendars.

This calendar was a rollercoaster ride. One day would be an up, but the next would be a down. For example, we got Doctor Strange one day, but the day before was just his cape. While I get what the design team was trying for, I struggle to see how this would be fun for a seven-year-old kid. All that excitement for a new LEGO build gets dashed by opening an accessory for a minifigure.

The other accessory choices were packed after the minifigs, but they were difficult to connect thematically. Spider-Man’s webs make sense, but a jet pack for Captain America? Or winter accessories for Okoye? It felt like the designers had some ideas they wanted to throw in, but they didn’t know exactly how to sell customers on a jet pack or an ice hockey set.

Loki’s throne and the bunny from Iron Man 3, though? Those worked, though I would have loved a Loki to sit on his throne, especially considering how Season Two of his show ended.

The minifigs were cool, but the box overall would get a C grade for execution. The design team needs more thought and inspiration to meet the levels set by the Star Wars calendars and the previous Marvel sets.

Our countdown this year was a little different since we had a lot of competing plans in early December. We got it done by doubling up each day leading to the new year instead of Christmas Eve.

Now, on to the countdown:

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9

Day 10

Day 11

Day 12

Day 13

Day 14

Day 15

Day 16

Day 17

Day 18

Day 19

Day 20

Day 21

Day 22

Day 23

Day 24