Summary
- BTS footage of the Masters of the Universe adaptation shows faithful character designs and iconic castle sets.
- Fans are reassured by a change in tone from the previous failed live-action adaptation.
- Concerns over the casting of Jared Leto as Skeletor persist, but overall, production looks promising.
With the Masters of the Universe live-action adaptation already in production, there’s finally some behind-the-scenes footage that gives fans a proper impression of what sort of direction the upcoming adaptation is going in.
The Masters of the Universe franchise has seen tons of adaptations over the years, with the IP that started as a toy line from Mattel growing into a sword and sorcery style fantasy/science fiction franchise with as much lore as some of the biggest in the genre. While many of the shows, comic books, and new merch lines have all been well-received, the franchise hasn’t been definitively adapted to live-action with much success. The last attempt at properly adapting the franchise in live action for the big screen was not what fans had in mind, trading all the IP’s potential for engrossing storytelling for a campy mess that was critically panned and commercially unsuccessful. As such, the announcement that Amazon MGM Studios was putting out a new live-action adaptation of the franchise was met with mixed emotions, but fans were soothed by the upcoming Masters Of The Universe film’s lead star teasing a change in tone from that and other previous adaptations.
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Fans were fairly impressed when the new He-Man and Teela appeared in BTS workout pics, and now there’s even more to be happy about from the set of the upcoming project. As covered by Deadline, there was a new Masters Of The Universe BTS reel at CinemaCon that showed how things are going. Per the report, the film’s prominent characters not only look pretty close to the iconic toy line that launched the IP, but they’ve even been improved a bit, as seen on Camilla Mendes and Jared Leto as Teela and Skeletor, respectively. Furthermore, the video shows large castle sets being built alongside the green screens needed to bring a live-action Eternia to theaters, confirming that the franchise’s most iconic location will be front and center.
Fans Are Getting Excited About The Masters Of The Universe Film
While the footage isn’t widely available yet, there’s a lot to celebrate based on the Deadline report. It’s pretty clear now that the Masters Of The Universe tone choice is the correct one, and the production is bearing it out well so far. Having costumes with a clear link to the toy line is a big win for the franchise and longtime fans, as well as the IP’s merchandising. The castle sets being put up this early into production is arguably more important, as it means the setting will be the primary one for the film. Rumors concerning the film’s plot led to concerns that the film would be a largely earthbound affair, but that doesn’t seem to be the case at all, going by this BTS footage.
While things are looking great at the moment, there is one part of the production that fans probably won’t be getting over anytime soon. Having Jared Leto on board as Skeletor has been panned as horrible casting by fans on social media, thanks in large part to the actor’s recent high-profile stinkers like his prominent roles in Morbius and Suicide Squad. It’s certainly too late to recast the role, as production has already started on the project. As it stands, the rest of the good work being done will have to tide fans over until the film premieres next year.
The Masters Of The Universe reboot film is set for theatrical release on June 5, 2026.
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Source: Deadline