The LEGO Icons theme has brought back various retired IPs, but what other dormant themes could come back from the dead?
LEGO Icons has become home to a growing number of retired IPs, including The Lord of the Rings, The Simpsons, and now Pirates of the Caribbean – but that's certainly not the end of the licenses that could come back from the dead. The LEGO Group has dozens of retired themes, and some of them include licenses that could go down well with a modern audience – perhaps even more so than on the first time around.
Many IPs have now reached levels of nostalgia where the people who first enjoyed them are now grown up and want a retro build to enjoy. That means they want bigger, more detailed – and often have more budget to spend on an 18+ set. We've picked out a few retired licensed themes that could make a comeback under the LEGO Icons banner for you below.
LEGO Avatar: The Last Airbender
We have one LEGO Avatar theme, but what about a second LEGO Avatar theme? We're talking about The Last Airbender here, not the James Cameron movies, and it feels entirely possible that this could become a reality. The last LEGO sets had their own theme all the way back in 2006, but only two sets were released: 3828 Air Temple and 3829 Fire Nation Ship.
With a new live-action Avatar renewed for at least two more seasons and the second season airing early in 2026, the LEGO Group could follow the same blueprint for sets as LEGO One Piece. There's clearly already a Netflix partnership in place, with Wednesday and One Piece themes being a prime example of that – so could we see return to Avatar as well, perhaps under the Icons banner?
Judging from the numerous Airbender-themed Ideas projects that make it past 10,000 supporters, the appetite within the LEGO community is certainly there.
LEGO Stranger Things
Speaking of Netflix partnerships, the grand finale of Stranger Things is airing at the end of 2025, with the first batch of the final season coming on November 25 and the second batch on December 31. Although we'd have expected to have heard a whisper of a return to LEGO Stranger Things coming before the end of the year, it's not impossible that we get a surprise celebration set based on the final season, or an evergreen display piece to match 75810 The Upside-Down.
Technically speaking, we do have some brick-built Stranger Things sets in 2025 – but we want more than 40801 Mike, Dustin, Lucas and Will Figures. Give us an 18+ display model in LEGO Icons to round out the iconic sci-fi show and we can let it go with a smile.
LEGO Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
LEGO Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles had a relatively good run of sets compared to some of the other entries on this list, but the crime-fighting team hasn't been seen in LEGO for over a decade. The LEGO Group has been returning to a lot of '80s media in recent months via LEGO Ideas contests and GWPs, plus the ongoing interest in TMNT is clear from the steady stream of LEGO Ideas projects gaining 10,000 votes.
2027 will be 40 years since the turtles first hit screens (feel old yet?) and could be the prime time for a return to the team. For an 18+ Icons set, we'd want the LEGO Group to go further than the playsets we've had before. Buildable characters of the turtles themselves could be a winner, or a detailed recreation of the Sewer Lair would give us modern minifigures of the gang.
LEGO Powerpuff Girls
LEGO Powerpuff Girls might feel more niche than some of the others, but with the growing number of women interested in LEGO, returning to a nostalgic IP that had a predominantly female audience could cater well to where the LEGO audience is in 2025 and beyond. It's been seven years since we last had child-focused playsets, but it's been more than 20 years since Powerpuff Girls have been on screens, placing in squarely in the territory where fans of the show have grown up – and have adult money to spend on detailed sets.
Powerpuff Girl minifigures would go down a treat, with the 2018 versions already being fairly accurate to the on-screen look. An 18+ laboratory, featuring the colourful trio and the Professor, plus an array of enemies for them to fight off, and you've got the makings of a vibrant, retro build.
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