The time has come to return to Eternia! This week, Masters of the Universe is finally hitting theaters this Friday. For long time fans of He-Man and Skeletor, the big-budget adaptation signifies a long awaited milestone for the fandom hoping to finally see their favorite characters come to life on the big screen. With a passionate filmmaker like Travis Knight at the helm, and a cast consisting of breakout stars and heavy hitters like Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, and Idris Elba, behind it, it seems that wait may have finally been worth it.
Masters of the Universe is not the easiest property to adapt. With a hero like He-Man, and supporting characters like Trap Jaw, Fisto, and Ram Man, things can absolutely get really silly, really fast, which may seem way to kitschy for modern audience sensibilities. However, if done properly, with a wink, a smile, and with heart, there’s a chance those same audiences could see why the battle for Eternia between He-Man and Skeletor has remained endearing to hardcore fans for over 40 years. That is precisely what the cast of Masters of the Universe signed up for under Knight.
A hardcore fan of the toyline and cartoons since childhood, Knight approached the material knowingly embracing the campier aspects of the mythology and characters. Knowing full well that’s what many can and should expect from Masters of the Universe, and more importantly what he loved about it growing up, not a single frame of the film was shot in a way that mocks or disparages its roots. His goal was to create and honor the show and toys he loved growing up, and his vision inspired others to follow suit.
Recently The Nerds of Color was invited to the Masters of the Universe press conference, where we got to hear Knight speak about what it took to bring the film to life, along with the cast, which included Galitzine, Mendes, Elba, Alison Brie, and Morena Baccarin, and producers Robbie Brenner, Jason Blumenthal, and Todd Black. Here’s what they had to say about bringing the long time Mattel toy line to the big screen as a new summer blockbuster:
The press conference took place the morning following the film’s red-carpet Hollywood premiere. When asked about how the premiere was, Knight stated, “I’m actually a little hoarse. I went hard last night, so forgive the sound of my voice. But no, it was amazing. We’ve been working on this thing for a long time, and to finally get it out into the world and get the response we’ve been getting—it’s a real joy. I feel really good.”
As previously stated, Knight was a lifelong fan of Masters of the Universe. He discussed how emotional it was to be the filmmaker tasked with bringing Eternia to life. “It really is a trip. I loved He-Man as a kid. I played with the toys, read the comics, watched the cartoons every day after school. I even made my own He-Man home movie when I was a kid. I commandeered my dad’s video camera and played He-Man myself. I definitely had the haircut, but not really the physique. So to be here 40 years later, telling stories with these characters I’ve loved since childhood—it’s deeply moving. The most emotional moment for me was when Nick did the transformation scene for the first time. When he said the incantation, I started welling up. Seeing that character come to life on the big screen was incredible.”
Galitzine was asked about his experience breaking out in Hollywood, prior to becoming the role of Adam/He-Man. “For a lot of British actors, there’s this added step where you come out to L.A. for pilot season and try to get agents. We have this thing called the ESTA visa [an automated system that determines the eligibility of visitors to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program], which lasts 90 days, and I used to book the full length of that visa with absolutely no idea where I was going to sleep. I stayed on a few couches in North Hollywood, and I remember always walking past the Chinese Theatre thinking, in my wildest dreams, maybe one day I’d have a movie there. So being there last night was incredibly surreal.”
He was then asked about how the physical transformation into He-Man informed the emotional transformation in his performance. “That was really the core of what Travis and I connected on—finding the humanity inside this larger-than-life character. When Adam says that incantation, it means something deeply emotional. He’s a guy who’s basically been gaslit his whole life. Nobody believes who he really is. He keeps getting rejected, but he still has this unbreakable sense of hope. So when he finally says that line, it’s about earning the right to say it. All the rejection and hardship in his life feed into that moment…People assume you burst onto the scene overnight, but this has been 13 years in the making for me. I feel really honored that so many people trusted me with this responsibility.”
Mendes, who plays Teela in the film, was asked the same question (a refreshing notion given most female leads in action films aren’t asked about their own action sequences). “Teela is Duncan’s daughter, so she’s been training from a very young age,” Mendes stated. “But what really interested me was her relationship with her father. That informs everything about who she becomes. She has this very tough exterior, but deep down she’s incredibly emotional and sensitive. That’s why she and Adam connect so strongly when he arrives from Earth—he brings a kind of vulnerability and sensitivity into Eternia.”
Playing Duncan, aka Man-at-Arms, is Elba – essentially the biggest and most established member of the cast. When asked about what details got him ready for Duncan’s emotional journey in the film, Elba joked, “Honestly? The mustache…Travis and I spent a lot of time talking about fatherhood and that old-school machismo our dads had—the whole ‘not good at expressing feelings’ thing…This character, [is] just a dad who loves his kid. He carries a sense of loss through the whole movie, and I leaned into that. By the end of filming I felt like Camila’s actual dad.”
“He’d be like, ‘Did you brush your teeth today?'” Mendes joked.
As the Oscar-nominated head of Mattel Studios, producer Brenner was asked about the cinematic nature of adapting Mattel properties. “Toys are part of your imagination,” she stated. “You bring them into your room, you create stories with them for hours. Everyone has nostalgia connected to toys and characters. What’s exciting is honoring the integrity of the original while reinventing it for new audiences. Watching it all come to life last night was incredible.”
As another longtime veteran of fan-driven genre roles, from her roles in Firefly, Deadpool, and Gotham, Baccarin was asked what it was like to step into the iconic role of The Sorceress of Castle Grayskull. “Like Travis, I grew up playing He-Man and She-Ra with my brother, so I already had the history in me. One of the hardest things with a project this massive is trust—trusting the vision around you. But the costumes, the sets, the world-building… it all does so much work for you. The character becomes easier to inhabit because the universe feels completely real.”
Brie, who joined the cast as the iconic Evil-Lyn, was asked to talk about finding the balance between comedy and menace as one of the film’s primary villains. “It really starts with the script. The relationship between Evil-Lyn and Skeletor is so funny and complicated. She’s both his most loyal ally and the first person ready to betray him. I also felt there’s a strange love-hate dynamic there. Even when he’s hurting her, there’s a part of her that admires how evil he is. Travis was incredibly collaborative. We’d constantly pitch ideas and try different versions of scenes or laughs. [Jared Leto (who plays Skeletor)] and I had so much fun exploring that relationship. I’d watch an entire movie just about those two.”
She was then asked what it was like working with Leto in his Skeletor costume. “[He wore the] full Skeletor costume. Giant boots, hood, muscles—everything. He looked terrifying.”
As the producers of the film, Blumenthal and Black were asked about the importance of the theatrical experience, given the challenges cinema has seen over recent years.
“Todd and I have been trying to get this movie made for 18 years,” stated Blumenthal. “We started as fans, and then suddenly we became stewards of something fans care deeply about. However, there wasn’t really a movie until Travis came along. He’s the one who truly put it all together. Overall though, seeing fans react last night made the entire journey worth it.”
Black added, “For me, the comparison is seeing Star Wars as a kid. Last night reminded me of that.”
The film’s score is incredibly well done, courtesy of Spider-Verse and Project Hail Mary composer, Daniel Pemberton and legendary Queen member, Brian May. When asked about collaborating with them to put together the soundtrack for the movie, Knight stated, “One of the biggest touchstones for us was the 1980 Flash Gordon movie scored by Queen. It was theatrical, emotional, sincere, and just sounded awesome. A year later, Daniel and I were sitting in Brian May’s home studio watching him record guitar solos for our movie. It was unbelievable. And then Brian disappeared for a few minutes and came back carrying giant boxes of He-Man toys from his attic—his son’s old collection. He knew every character.”
One of the film’s biggest and most iconic scenes is Adam’s first transformation into He-Man. The line deliver and the visuals are everything any Masters of the Universe fan could ever hope for. As such, Galitzine was asked about what it was like to film the transformation and whether or not he really was yelling the line as loudly as it came across in the film. “I absolutely was,” he stated. “It’s such an iconic line, and everyone kept asking if I’d been practicing it. But I didn’t want to over-rehearse it because I wanted it to feel raw and emotional in the moment. The pressure was intense, though. I remember standing on the biggest soundstage I’d ever seen, looking out at all these expectant faces.”
“Nobody cared about the line,” Brie joked. “They were all staring at your half-naked body.”
Mendes was then asked about whether or not she approached Teela as a character that drives Adam to become He-Man. “Absolutely. At the beginning, Teela is really the leader of the group because Duncan is emotionally disconnected and Adam hasn’t found his power yet. She’s resourceful and driven, and she helps guide both of them until they’re able to access their own strength.”
The final question was directed at the group. Everyone was asked if there was a moment during filming where everyone felt they were truly part of the iconography of Masters of the Universe.
“Honestly, [seeing] the sets,” said Galitzine. “They were so immersive that you never felt like you were standing in front of green screens. You could fully believe you were in Eternia.”
“Walking through the costume department was the moment for me,” stated Black. “Seeing Skeletor’s armor, all the characters—it suddenly became real.”
Brie chimed in, “For me, it was filming Evil-Lyn’s entrance scene. Travis kept saying, ‘This is an iconic character.’ Everyone in this universe matters. Every fan has their favorite character.”
For Baccarin, it was, “[Seeing] Castle Grayskull. [That] was the moment for me. Walking through those sets and seeing the sword in place—it felt real. I actually snuck a picture and sent it to my brother.”
Mendes was given the final word. She stated, “Descending toward Castle Grayskull with the whole team lined up—that felt special. That’s when it really hit me.”
Iconic is certainly what Knight and the team were going for, and for the most part, they managed to nail it! The castles, the sets, and the costumes created for the film absolutely brought Eternia to life in a way fans had only seen in cartoons and toy boxes. As such, Knight and the cast are looking to honor the legacy of Masters of the Universe and the millions of fans across the world, who have waited so long to see He-Man come to life.
Did they accomplish it? You’ll soon find out when Masters of the Universe hits theaters June 5th!
And stay tuned to The Nerds of Color for more Masters of the Universe coverage, including conversations with Knight, Mendes, and other members of the cast coming soon!
