McDonald's Space Jam Happy Meal Toys Are Stoking Millennial Nostalgia

While I was a latecomer to Space Jam (as in, I only watched it for the first time in my 3os), I can definitely understand the connection that so many people had to the movie when they were kids. It's a lot of fun, and that mix between live-action and animation will never get old. Plus, Michael Jordan. Maybe that's what we should watch tonight after I get off of work.

The newest entry in this cartoon basketball universe is Space Jam: A New Legacy, coming to theaters and streaming on HBO Max on July 16. In conjunction with the release, McDonald's is promoting the film with a Space Jam lineup of Happy Meal toys, so starting this week you can expect to see your favorite Warner Brothers cartoon characters nestled next to your kids' (or your) McNuggets and milk. A press release announced the news.

It looks like we can expect all the classics in this 12-toy lineup, like Marvin the Martian, Tweety and Sylvester, Bugs Bunny, Lola Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Wile E. Coyote and the Roadrunner, Yosemite Sam, and, new to the crew, basketball superstar LeBron James, who stars in the film. Bugs was always my favorite and always encouraged me to eat my carrots when I was just a wee Dennis. Do kids these days still watch Warner Brothers cartoons, even, or is it all anime now? I'm starting to feel really old, because it just dawned on me that I haven't seen a Saturday morning cartoon in over a decade.

The Happy Meal promotion comes on the heels of McDonald's rollout of other, more expensive Space Jam–themed merchandise like jerseys, shorts, and shirts, a co-branded collection with Diamond Supply Co. Everyone's jumping on that merch train these days. Who knows, we'll probably see NFTs involved somewhere down the line too. I don't own any basketball apparel, but don't be surprised if you see me on the street running around in a Bugs Bunny jersey, pretending I can slam dunk.