What's The Deal With McDonald's New As Featured In Meal?

McDonald's reliable lineup of burgers and fries is practically written in stone by now, it's so classic. But the chain is no stranger to introducing new menu items alongside its tried-and-true offerings (we're talking about you, Big Mac and Chicken McNuggets). Consider its brand-new menu item, for example: the As Featured In Meal. The entrées have all been featured in movies, TV shows, plays, or songs, including everything from "The Office" to "Sex and the City" to "Space Jam."

The meal was made to honor some of the most iconic menu items that have been prominently featured in popular culture. Customers can choose from either 10 McNuggets, a Big Mac, or a quarter pounder with cheese, plus a medium carton of those famous fries and a drink. All meals will also come with the chain's newly branded sweet n' sour sauce.

The As Featured In Meal will be available starting on August 14 — and the offering extends far beyond the United States. The new menu choice will be available in more than 100 countries, which makes the As Featured In Meal the biggest global meal in all of McDonald's history (which goes back to 1955, by the way.)

This isn't the first time McDonald's has teased fans with a mysterious new menu item, and it probably won't be the last. But fans have a lot to look forward to with this meal, as McDonald's is offering up more than just a new combination. 

The release of the As Featured In Meal will also be accompanied by custom merchandise, courtesy of the streetwear brand PALACE, per an August 9 press release. Starting August 14, customers can scan a code on the packaging of the As Featured In Meal to see what's available for purchase. The meal features some other brand-new content from McDonald's, too. For example, the chain's new sweet n' sour sauce has a whole new look. The condiment has changed its appearance in honor of the second season of the Marvel series "Loki" — which, yes, will feature the condiment. 

As Morgan Flatley, the Global Chief Marketing Officer at McDonald's, explained, the As Featured In Menu isn't just for the chain's fans, but for fans' favorite characters, too. "It's not only our real-life fans who have a go-to order ... for decades, our favorite movie and TV characters have, too," Flatley said in a statement. From "Seinfeld" to "Reality Bites," fans' first bite of this new meal is dedicated to all of their favorite forms of entertainment.