8 Things The Masters Of The Universe Movie Must Get Right About Er-Man After Years In Development

As exciting as Amazon Lords of the Universe
Adaptation be it, it needs to get a lot of things right to be a worthy adaptation of He-Man’s adventures. We really live in an age where everything old is young again. Mattel’s Lords of the Universe franchise is set to return to the big screen in an Amazon/MGM movie scheduled for June 5, 2026. This is the first time He-Man will appear in theaters since a 1987 film starring Dolph Lundgren, one of the most notorious box office bombs in Hollywood history.

Nicholas Galitsin (Chambers, Cinderella, Mary & George) was cast as Prince Adam / He-Man, the strongest man in the universe; He will be joined by Camila Mendes (Dangerous read, Fairfax, Riverdale) as Teela, captain of the guard and possible love interest. Netflix’s controversial Masters of the Universe: Revelation Trying to relaunch the franchise, but this is undoubtedly the biggest chance for He-Man to finally stand tall in Hollywood. All that means there’s a lot riding on this movie to succeed – and here are some of the most important things it gets right.

8

Focus on he-man front & center

Kevin Smith Masters of the Universe: Revelation Improved as time went on, but could never fully shake off his early mistakes and missteps. Part of the problem was that trailers emphasized the return of He-Man, but the plot of the first season was basically He-Man-Lite. It’s telling that He-Man isn’t even referenced in the title, and the “revelation” really felt like Teela’s, when she discovered He-Man’s true identity in tragic circumstances.

Amazon Lords of the Universe The movie doesn’t refer to He-Man in the title either. But it is vital that the film avoids the same mistake of not making him the star; It needs to be focused on He-Man’s character and powersShow why he is indeed the most powerful man in the universe. He-Man has returned to the big screen, and he needs to stand front and center in his battle against Skeletor and the forces of evil.

7

Prince Adam’s secret identity makes sense

He-Man may live on a fantasy world, but he is essentially the main superhero of Eternia, leader of the planet’s version of The Avengers. He traditionally even has a secret identity, which he guards with the greatest care; Few know that the cowardly Prince Adam is actually he-man. Secret identities were a massive part of superhero fiction back in the 80s, but they’ve been somewhat out of fashion since the 2008s. Iron ManWhich explains why Smith’s Masters of the Universe: Revelation Started with he-man’s true identity revealed.

The problem, however, is that this revelation necessarily changes each of the relationships viewers are eager to see – especially the relationship between Prince Adam and Teela. Meanwhile, there are signs the fashion is changing again, with Spider-Man: No Way Home Wrestling with Peter Parker’s secret identity, and Daredevil: Born Again Sure to follow suit with Matt Murdock. It is vital Amazon Lords of the Universe Play this right away.

6

Nicholas Galitsin needs to be a believable He-Man and Prince Adam

This means a lot of weight rests on Nicholas Galitzine in the main role. He essentially had to play two different characters; The apparently cowardly Prince Adam, who runs from danger at the first base of trouble, and he-man himself. Galitsin is a great actor, but this will test him to the max, especially in the moments of excess – when Adam stops, draws his magic sword, and utters the spectacular battle cry that transforms him.

Again, Galitzine would do well to take a cue from some of the classic superhero actors – most notably the late Christopher Reeve. Reeve’s iconic performance brought both Clark Kent and Superman to life, and he subtly adjusted his entire body language to make it believable that Clark wouldn’t be recognized. Galitzine will need to draw something similar, so that his Prince Adam feels completely different to He-Man.

5

Teela needs to be more than just a love interest

A focus on he-man means the Lords of the Universe The movie will surely face the temptation to make Teela, Eternia’s captain of the guard, the main love interest. There was always a romantic undercurrent to the relationship between He-Man and Teela – He-Man Is After all, wish-fulfilling for many boys – but it is important that this is only an undercurrent. Teela is no damsel in distress, but rather a master of the universe in her own right.

Masters of the Universe: Revelation Attempts to do justice to Teela by focusing on her heavily implied relationship to the sorceress, revealing that she has inherited her mother’s powers. It was a smart approach, but again, it fundamentally changes Teela’s character. The live-action adaptation is the first chance to see He-Man and Teela on the big screen since 1987, which means this really has to be the original Teela.

4

Eternia must be a rich and vibrant world

He-Man made his debut on the fantastical planet of Eternia, and the classic animated show spent a lot of time exploring the new world. For Mattel, of course, this was an opportunity to create new action figures; Winged characters for the mountains, aquatic ones for the seas, and variants of He-Man and his fellow masters in different outfits for the varied environments. 1990s The New Adventures of He-Man Headed away from Eternia, which was a mistake. Other shows immediately returned to He-Man’s home world.

The New Adventures of He-Man It was something of a misstep, really, in that it forgot the fantastic roots of the franchise. He-Man is a sword-and-sorcery adventure; Although Man-At-Arms has advanced technology, it is more of a steampunk style, and a full-on move into science-fiction was a bad idea. Amazon Lords of the Universe No need to be ashamed of the fantasy roots of He-Man, especially in an age where Game of Thrones, Lord of the RingsAnd The Wheel of Time Have proven fantasy can be a hit.

3

Skeleton has to be a truly terrifying villain

Lords of the Universe Is really the story of Skeletor, because every hero is really measured by the power of their nemesis. The 1987 Lords of the Universe The movie just didn’t draw Skeletor; He felt like a pretty normal fantasy villain, rather than a true threat to the universe should he unlock the power of Grayskull. If Amazon Lords of the Universe Is to be a hit, then Skeletor must be truly terrifying.

It is true that this is a children’s franchise, so the film cannot go too far. Still, Disney has long since proven that villains can be incredibly scary, and yet beloved; That just makes it all the more satisfying when they lose. Amazon will face the temptation to underplay Skeletor’s villainy, meaning he has less impact. This temptation must be resisted.

2

The tone and style must be right

There have been so many different incarnations of Lords of the Universe Over the decade, and it is easy to conclude that there is no real “do” the franchise should take. This could not be further from the truth; The tone of the franchise was set back in the classic 1983 seriesAnd it is one of joyful innocence. This, unfortunately, was another area where Masters of the Universe: Revelation struggling; It tried to grow up with 1980s viewers, and so didn’t always quite click.

Lords of the Universe It might be fancy, but it’s not Game of Thrones. The franchise is a childlike innocence that allows parents to share it with their children. While the moral messages of the original series would be more contentious than Battle-Cat’s alter ego, the often hilarious speeches give a sense of the franchise’s worldview. He-Man’s world is one of black and white, good and evil, and it is designed to fill viewers with joy. Repeat this is non-negotiable.

1

Masters of the Universe needs to introduce a new generation of viewers to He-Man

nevertheless, Masters of the Universe: Revelation Made the simple mistake of overdoing it with nostalgia. It was aimed at an audience that loved the 1980s TV series and wanted to see the franchise grow up with them. Nostalgia has been a massive force in modern Hollywood for years now, but there’s a sense in which the nostalgia game is starting to feel subject to diminishing returns. Amazon Lords of the Universe Relaunch must avoid this, with the aim of bringing in new viewers.

That doesn’t necessarily mean it has to be an origin story, of course; But it certainly means Lords of the Universe Needs to present a fully fleshed out world as if it’s the first time a viewer has ever heard of He-Man. The goal should not be to bring in the nostalgic children of the 80s, but instead it should be to see how the children of the 80s share with H-Man. Very children and grandchildren. If Amazon can pull this off, then He-Man won’t just star in a blockbuster, ultimately, he’ll thrive.