After decades of false starts, the long-awaited "Masters of the Universe" movie is finally on the horizon, dropping a teaser that proves the enduring franchise might finally have the power again.
Instantly sending me right back to the ’80s, the teaser trailer nails the balance between retro throwback and modern blockbuster, making the 1987 version starring Dolph Lundgren feel corny and quaint by comparison.
We get to see Eternia’s sweeping vistas, the Sword of Power, that classic transformation into He‑Man ("I have the power!") — but updated with a modern visual style that proves director Travis Knight ("Bumblebee", "Kubo and the Two Strings") isn’t just leaning on nostalgia — he's giving this fantasy world the epic treatment it always deserved.
The trailer sees Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) take up the Sword of Power as He-Man, the most powerful man in the universe, in an effort to protect Eternia from the dastardly Skeletor (Jared Leto).
Other classic characters making an appearance in the trailer include Man-At-Arms (Idris Elba), Teela (Camilla Mendes) and Evil-Lyn (Alison Brie), among others (yes, that is indeed Cringer in his pre-Battle Cat state!)
Watch the 'Masters of the Universe' trailer now
Putting aside my feelings as a MOTU fanboy, I genuinely believe that "Masters of the Universe" could be one of the biggest blockbusters of 2026, and you only have to look at the success of 2023's "Barbie" to see why.
Similar to that film, which was also based on a Mattel toy line, "Masters of the Universe" treads similar nostalgic ground, with a history that spans decades, and a fanbase that has crossed generations.
While the previous "Masters of the Universe" film from 1987 was a huge flop, the writing was on the wall for that movie long before it came out — it had a notoriously troubled production that was plagued by financial woes, it came out just as the initial He-Mania had started to die down, and it ultimately didn't look much like the toys and cartoon it was based on.
Cut to 2026, and MOTU nostalgia is in full swing, with a popular Masters of the Universe Origins toy line that's been going strong since 2020, and an animated series on Netflix that's currently in negotiations for a third season, according to showrunner Kevin Smith.
For lifelong fans such as myself, whose Slack profile photo has been a picture of Skeletor with sunglasses for the last 10 years, it’s a fist-pumping jolt of childhood adrenaline. That said, it remains to be seen whether newcomers will be as excited to step into the world of Eternia when "Masters of the Universe" arrives in theaters on June 5, 2026 in the US and UK, and June 4, 2026 in Australia. Alternatively, as an Amazon MGM production, the film will inevitably land on Prime Video once its theatrical window has ended.
