During the summer when filming was underway on the live-action Masters of the Universe movie in London, some videos from the set featured an actor in a large motion-capture rig chasing stars Nicholas Galitzine (Prince Adam) and Camila Mendes (Teela) through the streets.
When the supporting cast was announced, it was assumed that Game of Thrones alum Hafthor Bjornsson's Goat Man would fill the role of Skeletor's animalistic henchman, but we'd later hear that concept art featuring Beast Man, Man-E-Faces, Spikor and Battle Cat was spotted at CinemaCon (if this is accurate, it was never shared online).
Now, HeMania.com has confirmed that the mo-cap actor was indeed playing Beast Man. Though this character is usually depicted as a humanoid not too much larger than his fellow Eternians, it looks like this movie will introduce a slightly more monstrous take on the villain.
The first teaser is expected to hit next month (though we have also heard that it could be sooner), and a description recently did the rounds online.
"It was an early cut of the trailer, with serval shots showing green screen still and a bit difficult to see due to the security watermarks, but it was overall good. It was about 75% WIP. The cut was quite rough, so it was by no means polished. But the characters I saw all looked good. It opens with Prince Adam talking to a friend on Earth and they are confused because Cringer is there and they discuss the green tiger. From there it goes to Prince Adam going to his home world and learning about his lineage from who I think is the sorceress, but it was kind of hard to see because of the watermarks.
After that it bounces around a bit and you see Prince Adam talking to a few of people from Eternia. There was a brief glimpse of Skeletor and who I think was Evil-Lyn. The trailer does show Prince Adam raising the sword and yelling “I HAVE THE POWER” and you see the transformation. A few quick scenes of him fighting as He-Man then it ends."
The leaker also says that Skeletor (Jared Leto) resembles his animated series counterpart, and that the movie looks like it's going to be a "solid origin story" for the muscle-bound hero.
Masters of the Universe also stars Idris Elba as Man-At-Arms, with 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.
Meanwhile, Sam C. Wilson (House of the Dragon) will play Trap Jaw, with Kojo Attah (The Beekeeper) as Tri-Klops, and Jon Xue Zhang (Eternals) as Ram-Man.
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.