by Geoff Fox

In 1982, Mattel and Filmation released a cartoon series that would be a commercial of sorts for a new line of action figures being released that year called “Masters of the Universe.”

Growing up in the 1980s, there’s a chance you sat in front of the TV watching the adventures of He-Man as he took on the evil forces of Skeletor.

In 1987, a live action movie of Masters of the Universe (MOTU) was made, but it ventured too far from the source materials and was critically panned.

Yes, there was He-Man, Skeletor, Teela, BeastMan, and a few other recognizable characters, but it wasn’t what the fans were hoping for.

Over the next 30+ years, there had been talks about a live action Masters of the Universe movie, but nothing came about from those rumors.

There were different cartoon series made with He-Man, including a two season run on Netflix, and company, but no live action movies.

That is until 2024 when Amazon MGM Studios and Mattel announced a movie being made.

Fans were chomping at the bit and waiting for anything to come about from the set or studios be it characters, cast, or plot.

Casting was announced with Jared Leto as Skeletor, Idris Elba as Man-at-Arms, Alison Brie as Evil Lynn, and Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Adam/He-Man.

When fans heard it would include Prince Adam, something the 1987 movie did not include, there was some hope this movie would be what fans wanted.

On January 22, fans got their first look at the trailer.

There was Cringer. There was Zor (the bird form of the Soceress). Most importantly, there was Castle Grayskull looking like it did in the cartoon series. Characters looked like what fans remembered.

However, there still remained a small cloud of uncertainty among the fandom.

But as more trailers and TV were shown, characters revealed, and figures released, that uncertainty grew to become anticipation and excitement for the movie.

And on June 5, 2026, the fandom finally got to see what they’d been waiting for.

For this kid who grew up faithfully watching the cartoon and playing with the toys, it was everything the fans wanted and more.

The movie is filled with callbacks and easter eggs for those who grew up watching the various cartoons, playing with the toys, reading the comics and newspaper comic strips, and the 1987 movie.

In the beginning of the movie, there’s a bust of a man wearing a helmet that looks a heck of a lot like Jon Cypher who played Man-At-Arms in the 1987 movie.

The fight sequence in the beginning are done with grace and hard hitting action, as it is throughout the movie.

We get our first glimpse of Leto’s Skeletor and how much darker he is than the cartoon version… until he gets to the crescendo.

It’s at that point Leto plays into the cartoon version with the comedy he carries the rest of the movie.

There was a lot of concern when Leto was cast as he’s become a bit of a box office cancer for movies. But that isn’t the case for MOTU as a lot of reviews, especially among fans, have been positive for Leto.

If you’re familiar with the cartoon series, then you’ll get the tone of the movie. From the comedy to the coloring, it’s all the 1980s.

As said earlier, there are callbacks and easter eggs galore in the movie.

The biggest one is a Dolph Lundgren cameo early in the movie. I won’t give it away, but it’s moment that is both a meta moment how it’s done with a nice nod to the original movie.

Characters from the cartoon series, vehicles, the 1987 movie, names, action, and many more pop up here and there.

One thing the movie does is keeps the real names of certain characters a mystery as we find out how they got their names, including how He-Man got his name.

The end of the movie is a giant nod to the cartoon as it seems to be a scene lifted directly from the 1980s cartoon and turned live action.

There are three credit scenes – one right after the movie ends, a scene after the actors names, and a third at the very end of the credits.

The first scene is a nod to the cartoon and is lovingly done. Again, those familiar with the 1980s cartoon will get what’s going on and will love it.

The other two scenes set up sequels.

One thing that has to be pointed out, is the music. The score keeps the action going, especially “Masters of the Universe” by the Darkness. Queen’s “Princes of the Universe” also features in this in a very cool scene. In fact, Queen’s guitarist Brian May collaborated with composer Daniel Pemberton on the track “Eternia” with his trademark “Red Special” guitar sound.

Even if you don’t want to see the movie, check out “Eternia” and “Masters of the Universe” just on their own.

There’s been a lot of reviews going around by “professional” movie reviewers that have been negative and I don’t feel they’re doing the movie justice.

Yes, the movie isn’t perfect, and they should point that out, but they’re not looking at the lore and backstory of everything involved.

I grew up a fan of MOTU and I can admit I wiped away tears, especially with the easter egg at the end that made me raise my arm in excitement.

The little boy inside me, the one who had the toys and watched the cartoons, was beaming with a smile that went ear to ear.

But don’t take critics’ word for how bad the movie is or mine for how much I loved it. Go see the movie yourself.

Grab some popcorn and a cold beverage, sit in the nice air-conditioned theater, and make the decision yourself.