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Light spoilers follow for 2026’s Masters of the Universe movie.
It’s been a rocky road for Masters of the Universe since Mattel initially created the sci-fi fantasy franchise in 1982. Indeed, from the heady heights of its popular toy range and subsequent animated shows in the 1980s, to its first live-action film and recent TV reimaginings that have been slammed by fans and critics alike, it’s endured more than its share of ups and downs.
The arrival of a new Masters of the Universe movie from Amazon, then, is a make-or-break moment for the brand. Become a hit and it could re-energize a franchise that’s long deserved a return to the spotlight. Fail to resonate with lifelong fans and/or newcomers, though, and there may never be another opportunity to resurrect it. To paraphrase its most iconic quote, it’s a good thing, then, that Masters of the Universe has the power to be one of 2026’s most surprising new movies.
By the power of Grayskull…
Masters of the Universe introduces us to Adam (Artie Wilkinson Hunt), the young, gentle, and timid crown prince of Eternos, aka the capital city of the planet Eternia ruled by his parents King Randor (James Purefoy) and Queen Marlena (Charlotte Riley).
When the malevolent Skeletor (Jared Leto) and his forces invade and conquer Eternos, Adam is hastily sent to Earth, i.e., his mom’s home world, for his own protection alongside an ancient artefact called the Sword of Power. Unfortunately, Adam loses the all-powerful weapon, which grants superhuman abilities to whoever wields it, en route to his new safe haven.
Masters of the Universe is an extremely entertaining and lore-accurate space opera
Fast forward 15 years, and a grown up Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) refuses to give up on finding the Power Sword and returning to Eternos to liberate its people.
Eventually, Adam’s persistence pays off. Not only is he reunited with the mystical blade, but also the adult version of his Eternos-based childhood friend Teela (Camila Mendes), who had traveled to Earth to track him down. Together, Adam and Teela return to Eternos and, alongside Teela’s adoptive father and Eternos’ former commander-in-chief Duncan/Man-at-Arms (Idris Elba), plus numerous other allies who join their cause, set out to end Skeletor’s reign of terror.
So far, so simple — and that remains the case throughout Masters of the Universe‘s runtime.
Indeed, it doesn’t put a unique spin on the traditional ‘Hero’s Journey’, aka the universal storytelling template coined by Joseph Campbell, nor does it reimagine the He-Man mythology like Netflix‘s Masters of the Universe: Revelations TV show did. Long-time fans who heavily criticized the latter for trying to reinvent franchise lore, then, will be relieved to hear that it doesn’t similarly reinvent the He-Man legend for the sake of it.
Masters of the Universe does right by its source material
And, frankly, it doesn’t need to. The He-Man and the Masters of the Universe brand might be 44 years old, but its core themes, such as self-empowerment and the quintessential battle of good versus evil, are as pertinent today as they were in the ’80s.
Equally, its glam rock-inspired universe and iconic characters aren’t as famous as they were decades ago, either. Nonetheless, retaining the franchise’s classic elements is a sure-fire way of feeding into diehard fans’ nostalgia and keeping them onside amid this latest reboot.
As a result, Masters of the Universe does right by its source material and is therefore as faithful a reboot as you’re ever likely to see.
From franchise-accurate costumes and locations, to the eclectic cast of individuals that inhabit its wildly creative universe and mythos surrounding it, the amount of crowd-pleasing fan service on show will convince even the most trepidatious fan that it’s a worthy live-action adaptation. Throw in a reference to the greatest He-Man meme of all-time, and even viewers whose only exposure to the Mattel-owned IP comes via meme culture will appreciate what’s on offer.
That all said, viewers hoping for a film with a less predictable plot will be left wanting more. Some might argue that’s in keeping with the simplicity of its identically titled animated show, but, while its easy-to-follow narrative didn’t ruin my enjoyment of what was on offer, I suspect some people will consider its story to be too generic for their tastes.
Feeling good and evil
Regardless, established fans and newcomers alike will find plenty more to enjoy about Masters of the Universe.
For one, there’s no denying that it’s highly entertaining. The early part of Adam’s arc, which is punctuated by a series of ‘fish out of water’ moments on Earth and Eternia that speak to his initial alienation on both worlds, sprinkles a hefty dose of slapstick and self-aware humor on top of its drama-covered sundae.
Add in reams of banter thrown around by its charismatic group of heroes, including the scene-stealing sardonic android Roboto (voiced by a pitch-perfect Kristen Wiig) and vibrant, thrills-a-minute action on top, and Masters of the Universe is an absorbing galactic adventure that puts fellow sci-fi flick and recent Star Wars movie The Mandalorian and Grogu to shame.
Masters of the Universe is an absorbing galactic adventure that puts The Mandalorian and Grogu to shame
It helps that there aren’t many weak links in Masters of the Universe‘s cast, too.
As the socially awkward prodigal son who spends the entire story running towards his destiny rather than away from it, Galitzine is brilliantly amusing as he is melodramatic. Sure, it’s a performance that won’t win any prizes on the 2027 awards circuit but, as a more multifaceted version of the franchise’s archetypal hero, he leads this film with the right amount of weird, wonderful, and wow factor.
Though it pains me to say something positive about the controversy-courting Leto, he’s also in fine form as Adam/He-Man’s archnemesis. Equal parts menacing and sassy, Leto captures the core essence of Masters of the Universe‘s enduringly popular miscreant in a hammy display of true villainy.
Good though the movie’s supporting ensemble are, some aren’t given the necessary time or arcs to be as fully-rounded as they should.
Some characters aren’t given the necessary time or arcs to be as fully-rounded as they should
Mendes’ Teela and Elba’s Duncan don’t fall foul of that per se — the badass pair are given enough to do throughout Masters of the Universe‘s 132-minute runtime. Nonetheless, I would’ve liked their detached surrogate bond to be examined in more detail, even if it was at the expense of some of its comedy.
The unluckiest member of Masters of the Universe‘s cast, though, is Alison Brie, whose Evil Lyn — aka Skeletor’s right-hand lady — is given short shrift throughout. Brie does an as-ever excellent job with the material she has, but I longed to see more of her chewing the scenery as the double-crossing sorceress.
For a film with a reported budget of $170 million, its visual effects (VFX) are at-times incredibly jarring, too — the most glaring example of which involves a forest-based vehicle chase sequence involving He-Man and Skeletor’s minions.
Indeed, for a movie of this size and scale, and whose VFX is largely unnoticeable elsewhere, the blending of its green/blue screen footage with computer graphic imagery (CGI) looks and feels cheap.
My verdict
In spite of those notable flaws and so-called Guardians of the Galaxy-ification of its universe, I had a really good time with Masters of the Universe. Sure, it’s got those quintessential popcorn movie vibes, but it’s nevertheless an extremely entertaining and lore-accurate space opera that, spoilers notwithstanding, also has a surprise or two up its sleeve.
Will that be enough to breathe new life into Masters of the Universe and help it thrive as a modern day franchise? Yes, I’d say so — but it’ll need the support of general moviegoers more than its built-in audience to become the next vintage property to enjoy a cultural renaissance in the modern era.
Masters of the Universe arrives in theaters on June 3 (UK) and June 5 (US and everywhere else).
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tom.power@futurenet.com (Tom Power)
