Masters of the Universe is currently being spotlighted at this year's New York Toy Fair. While we've seen many toys in recent weeks, there's a statue on display (as you can see in the X posts below, via Toonado.com), offering fans a detailed look at the reboot's take on Skeletor.
The character, played by Morbius star Jared Leto, looks suitably terrifying and just like his cartoon counterpart come to life. That was, of course, the point as the reboot looks to pay homage to the beloved 1980s animated series.
Skeletor could have gone in any number of directions, and sticking as close to the cartoon as possible was a wise move. He will seemingly be a primarily CG character, but that's not a bad thing and keeping Leto's face out of the picture isn't necessarily a bad thing after TRON: Ares became his latest movie to flop.
During a recent interview, Masters of the Universe director Travis Knight revealed that previous versions of the movie's script depicted Skeletor as a man wearing a golden skull mask. "I said, 'F**k that shit. Skeletor has a skull face,'" he stated. "That’s just the way it is. It’s a living, talking, emoting skull, and that’s that."
With that decided on, the filmmaker knew he had to get the character right. For him, Leto was ultimately the perfect choice to help with that, and it sounds like fans can expect a very timely portrayal of the villain who desires control of Castle Grayskull.
"Skeletor was a really interesting villain," Knight shared. "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."
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.