Thanks to some promo art from the Masters of the Universe "First Ones" action figure line, we have a new look at He-Man (Nicholas Galitzine) facing off against his arch enemy, the evil Skeletor (Jared Leto).
During a recent interview with Empire, director Travis Knight revealed that this live-action take on the villain will be quite different to the version fans will be used to from the '80s animated series.
"Skeletor was a really interesting villain," said the filmmaker. "He looked cool. He was scary. He was funny. He was insecure. And then of course he had this distinctive voice."
"I wanted someone to craft their own version of that. Jared approached us, because he loves Skeletor and has his own history with the character. He wanted to swing for the fences," he continued. "And ultimately, we landed on something that I’m really happy with. Skeletor’s kind of the embodiment of toxic masculinity."
Masters of the Universe also stars Camila Mendes as Teela, Morena Baccarin as The Sorceress and James Purefoy and Charlotte Riley as Adam's parents, King Randor and Queen Marlena. Alison Brie will also feature as Skeletor's second-in-command, Evil-Lyn.
Sam C. Wilson will play Trap Jaw, with Kojo Attah as Tri-Klops, and Jon Xue Zhang as Ram-Man. More recently, Kristin Wiig joined the cast as the voice of Roboto.
After numerous false starts, Netflix was all set to develop a feature take on the beloved animated series back in 2022, but we got word last year that the latest attempt to get the project off the ground had also fallen by the wayside.
However, we'd later learn that Amazon/MGM Studios had acquired the movie, with Bumblebee director Travis Knight in talks to helm. Chris Butler rewrote the script from an initial draft by David Callaham (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings). Previously, the Nee Brothers (The Lost City) were attached to direct.
Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch will produce, along with DeVon Franklin.
The story follows “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!”
Masters of the Universe is set to hit theaters on June 5, 2026.