An action-packed new trailer for Masters of the Universe was released earlier today. For longtime He-Man fans, there are plenty of noteworthy moments and characters to get excited about, not to mention a much better look at what to expect from this reimagining of Eternia.
No reboot of a property as beloved as this can make every fan happy, but filmmaker Travis Knight is clearly doing his best. The bigger test for Masters of the Universe will be whether the franchise can find mainstream appeal with members of the audience who didn't necessarily grow up with He-Man's animated adventures.
Time will tell on that front, but we can now take a closer look at all of the trailer's biggest moments with these 4K screenshots first shared on Toonado.com.
As well as showcasing Masters of the Universe's heroes and villains, along with Eternia itself, you'll notice some big hints about where this remake is taking Prince Adam. Leaked plot details have pointed to him having memories of a childhood on Eternia, and that's glimpsed here along with the hero's homecoming (where he finally embraces his destiny and wields the Power Sword).
We also get a closer look at Jared Leto's Skeletor. While the controversial TRON: Legacy star being cast as the iconic villain has divided opinions, it's clear now that he'll be hidden beneath a lot of VFX. After a string of noteworthy box office flops, that's not the worst thing in the world for Masters of the Universe.
"Skeletor was a really interesting villain," Knight explained in a recent interview when asked about casting Leto. "He looked cool. He was scary. He was funny. He was insecure. And then of course he had this distinctive voice."
"I wanted someone to craft their own version of that. Jared approached us because he loves Skeletor and has his own history with the character. He wanted to swing for the fences," he continued. "And ultimately, we landed on something that I’m really happy with. Skeletor’s kind of the embodiment of toxic masculinity."
"I wasn’t looking for a body. I was looking for a soul," Knight later said of choosing Nicholas Galitzine to play He-Man. "I needed someone who had the spirit of this character, and could be funny and charming and heartbreaking and also plausibly a big action hero. Because there’s a duality there: Adam essentially represents empathy, He-Man represents strength."
In Masters of the Universe, Director Travis Knight brings the legendary franchise back to the big screen in this epic live-action adventure. After being separated for 15 years, the Sword of Power leads Prince Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) back to Eternia, where he discovers his home shattered under the fiendish rule of Skeletor (Jared Leto).
To save his family and his world, Adam must join forces with his closest allies, Teela (Camila Mendes) and Duncan/Man-At-Arms (Idris Elba), and embrace his true destiny as He-Man — the most powerful man in the universe.
Written by Chris Butler and Aaron Nee & Adam Nee & Dave Callaham, and directed by Travis Knight, Masters of the Universe stars Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, Alison Brie, James Purefoy, Morena Baccarin, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Charlotte Riley, Kristen Wiig, Jared Leto, and Idris Elba.
Masters of the Universe opens in theaters on June 5, later this year.