“Not long ago, when times were simpler…” is the perfect opening hook to stir feelings of nostalgia, and there’s plenty of that going around in the teaser for Amazon MGM’s upcoming live-action Masters of the Universe film adaptation. It clocks in at just 30 seconds, coming one day before the full debut trailer, but features nods that will be familiar to those who grew up during the ’80s – Trix cereal, aerobic workouts, and of course, an animated hero known as He-Man.
While the all-powerful lead is absent in the clip alongside his archnemesis Skeletor, played by Tron: Ares star Jared Leto, fans are treated to a sequence of Prince Adam (Nicholas Galitzine, The Idea of You) reaching out for the Power Sword and a quick look at a few other characters, including Man-At-Arms (Idris Elba, Luther), Teela (Camila Mendes, Riverdale), and the computer-generated Cringer / Battle Cat, all of who look accurate to their classic designs.
Joining the quartet are Morena Baccarin (Deadpool) as The Sorceress, Alison Brie (Community) as Evil-lyn, James Purefoy (The Following) as King Randor, Charlotte Riley (Peaky Blinders) as Queen Marlena, Kristen Wiig (How to Train Your Dragon) as Roboto, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson (Captain America: Brave New World) as Malcolm / Fisto, Sam C. Wilson (Deep Cover) as Trap Jaw, Hafthor Bjornsson (Game of Thrones) as Goat Man, Kojo Attah (The Beekeeper) as Tri-Klops, Sasheer Zamata (Agatha All Along) as Suzie, and John Xue Zhang (The Brothers Sun) as Ram-Man.
Directed by Travis Knight (Bumblebee), the adaptation is based on Mattel’s toy line and animated series following Prince Adam of Eternia, who transforms into He-Man with his Power Sword, gaining superhuman abilities that he uses to defend Eternia and Castle Grayskull. Chris Butler, Aaron Nee, Adam Nee, and Dave Callaham serve as scriptwriters, while Aaron Nee, Adam Nee, Alex Litvak and Michael Finch worked on the story.
The official synopsis reads, “After being separated for 15 years, the Sword of Power leads Prince Adam back to Eternia, where he discovers his home shattered under the fiendish rule of Skeletor. To save his family and his world, Adam must join forces with his closest allies, Teela and Duncan/Man-At-Arms, and embrace his true destiny as He-Man — the most powerful man in the universe.”
The new Masters of the Universe is set to bow on 5 June 2026.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
