With a star-studded cast and an intriguing twist on He-Man’s traditional story, the new Masters of the Universe has potential.
The Masters of the Universe franchise got its start in the early ‘80s when Mattel produced an expansive line of action figures, toy vehicles, and playsets centering around He-Man (the Most Powerful Man in the Universe) and his friends, allies, and the evildoers in the magical land of Eternia.
Masters is perhaps even better known through its Filmation cartoon which was essentially a 22-minute toy commercial. The show ran from 1983 to ‘85, but He-Man’s popularity lives on through various other adaptations.
Masters of the Universe's He-Man Live-Action Film: All We Know
The Masters of the Universe Movie is Releasing Next Year
Masters of the Universe fans shouldn’t worry about a long wait for the property’s next big-screen feature film. The movie, from Amazon MGM Studios and appropriately titled Masters of the Universe, will hit theaters like a bolt of lightning striking the Master Sword on June 5, 2026.
This is not the only time that He-Man has been a presence at the box office.
In 1987, The Cannon Group (the same studio that brought audiences the infamous Superman IV: The Quest for Peace that same year) trotted out a Dolph Lundgren-led Masters movie and promptly wished it hadn’t. The film was a massive bomb.
Is Chris Hemsworth the New He-Man? Cast Explained
With his blonde hair and chiseled physique, one might assume that Australian actor Chris Hemsworth (far and away best known as Marvel's Thor Odinson) would be the first pick to portray He-Man and his alter-ego, the Eternain Prince Adam.
Hemsworth’s well-established comedy chops would also be greatly utilized with Adam’s trademark upbeat dorkiness. There have even been several fan-made trailers, placing Hemsworth in He-Man’s loincloth.
But alas, Chris Hemsworth is not attached to Masters of the Universe in any way, least of all as He-Man.
But who will wield the Power Sword and protect Eternia in the upcoming motion picture? None other than 30-year-old Nicholas Galitzine, fresh off a string of romcom appearances. This includes 2024’s The Idea of You, which co-starred Anne Hathaway.
Riverdale’s Camila Mendes will bring life to He-Man’s ally and fellow warrior Teela and Idris Elba will play the mighty Man-At-Arms, Eternia’s top weapons expert.
Controversial actor and Thirty Seconds to Mars frontman will portray He-Man’s greatest adversary Skeletor, who will hopefully be depicted in the villain’s full skull-faced glory. Alison Brie of Community and Mad Men fame will step into the role of the nefarious witch Evil-Lyn.
Rounding out Masters of the Universe’s primary cast are Skeletor’s henchman: Sam C. Wilson as Trap Jaw, Jojo Attah as Tri- and Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson as Goat Man.
The full announced cast of Masters of the Universe can be viewed below:
- Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Adam/He-Man
- Camila Mendes as Teela
- Idris Elba as Man-At-Arms
- Jared Leto as Skeletor
- Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn
- Sam C. Wilson as Trap Jaw
- Kojo Attah as Tri-Klops
- Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson As Goat Man
Bumblebee Director Travis Knight Is Helming the Movie
Travis Knight, who’s best known for helming Paramount’s Transformers: Bumblebee from 2018, as well as the stop-motion fantasy film Kubo and the Two Strings will sit in the director’s chair for Masters of the Universe.
After the Michael Bay-directed Transformers movies had well and truly run their course (with diminishing box office returns to boot), Paramount hired Knight to take the reigns of Bumblebee, which was originally set to be a prequel to the Bay films but wound up being more of a reboot.
The end result was a movie that was chock full of heart that also managed to do justice to the beloved original Transformers stories from the 1980s. Now, Travis Knight will take on the challenge of adapting another iconic ‘80s cartoon into live-action.
Knight will do so based on a script written by David Callaham, whose past credits include Zombieland: Double Tap and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
The First Plot Details Have Been Released
In a fresh take on Masters lore, He-Man’s origin story has been altered drastically for the 2026 film. Instead of being born and raised in Eternia, Prince Adam will be a resident of Earth, having crashed there when he was 10 years old. Making matters worse, he’s lost the Power Sword that enables him to become He-Man.
The full synopsis for Masters of the Universe is below (via Variety):
“'Masters of the Universe' introduces a 10-year-old Prince Adam, who crashed to Earth in a spaceship and was separated from his magical Power Sword — the only link to his home on Eternia. After tracking it down almost two decades later, Prince Adam is whisked back across space to defend his home planet against the evil forces of Skeletor. But to defeat such a powerful villain, Prince Adam will first need to uncover the mysteries of his past and become He-Man: the most powerful man in the Universe!”
Having not grown up in Eternia, audiences can likely expect a fair bit of fish-out-of-water comedy as Adam acclimates to his vast and mystical new surroundings.
Amazon MGM Studios’ Masters of the Universe arrives in theaters on June 5, 2026.
