Mattel's latest attempt at bringing He-Man to live-action, Masters of the Universe, has sparked concern among fans. Recently released images and a new plot synopsis suggest the upcoming movie is making the same mistake as the infamous 1987 adaptation, by setting part of the story on Earth.

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What is He-Man about?

The classic He-Man story follows Prince Adam of Eternia, who wields a magical sword that transforms him into the powerful warrior He-Man. Alongside his allies, he defends his home from the evil warlock Skeletor, who seeks to steal an ancient power source.

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Is history repeating itself?

According to the new plot synopsis, Masters of the Universe will follow a young Prince Adam stranded on Earth without his magical power sword. Eventually, he will return to Eternia, but much of the film’s early story unfolds on Earth.

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This approach closely mirrors the 1987 Masters of the Universe movie, directed by Gary Goddard and starring Dolph Lundgren. Instead of embracing the dark fantasy world of Eternia, that film was largely set on Earth, where He-Man found himself babysitting a teenage couple. The result was a critical and commercial failure, with its only redeeming factor being Frank Langella’s memorable performance as Skeletor.

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The decision to once again partially set the story on Earth seems unnecessary. He-Man has never had an overly complex premise, and making the choice to "ground" the story in a familiar setting is puzzling. It raises concerns that studios haven’t learned from past mistakes. The best-case scenario would be that the Earth sequences are kept brief and don’t overshadow the rich world of Eternia.

Cast and crew

Despite these concerns, Masters of the Universe has some promising elements. The film is directed by Travis Knight, known for his work on Kubo and the Two Strings and Bumblebee. The cast includes Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man, alongside Camila Mendes, Jared Leto, Alison Brie, Idris Elba, and Morena Baccarin.

Fans can only hope that Masters of the Universe breathes new life into the long-languishing franchise, rather than repeating history when it hits the big screen on June 5, 2026.

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