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Boys of the 1980s were taught that the world of grown-ups was one filled with paramilitary organizations who shot lasers at terrorists, cars that were actually robots in disguise, and humanoid cats that gave you confusing feelings. Turns out, real life is a lot more boring.
At least, that’s the assumption made by the first trailer for Masters of the Universe, the latest big screen adaptation of the toy line/cartoon series about sci-fi barbarians. The two and a half minute clip introduces us to Adam Glenn, a nondescript (save for his dreamy blonde locks) man who dreams of something more. What follows is a trip to another world, lots of deep cut toy references, and a healthy dose of self-awareness. All of which worked wonders for another movie about a Mattel toy, Barbie.
As any ’80s kid knows, Adam is Prince Adam of Eternia, even if he’s swapped his pink tunic for a pink button-down. Portrayed by Nicholas Galitzine, Adam seeks out a sword that will bring him to Eternia, a place that he left as a youth when his mother Queen Marlena Glenn (Charlotte Riley) sent away for his own protection. It’s no spoiler to say that he finds the sword and soon teams up with characters familiar to many a Gen X’er: Camila Mendes as Teela, Idris Elba as Man-at-Arms, as well as CGI creations of Beast Man, Spikor, and Battle-Cat.
Of course, the high fantasy imagery comes only after a few knowing jokes, including the pronouns “He/Him” on Adam’s nameplate and a shopkeeper who chides Adam for grabbing the sword. Certainly, after decades of Joss Whedon-style quippy dialogue and its lingering effects in the MCU, some cringe at the thought of Masters of the Universe mocking itself. But after Barbie found incredible commercial and critical success with gags about a pregnant doll or a doll with a camera in her chest, it’s easy to see why studio Amazon MGM would go this route.
However, fans should keep in mind that Barbie‘s wry humor came alongside with not just sincerity but a healthy bit of pride in its product, which the film positioned as not just a reliable birthday or holiday gift, but as a feminist breakthrough. Certainly, Masters of the Universe can do the same about restoring the power of myth and imagination to a lost generation.
Moreover, Masters of the Universe is directed by Travis Knight. In addition to being the son of Nike co-founder Phil Knight and former rapper who called himself Chilly Tee, Travis Knight founded stop-motion animations studio LAIKA and directed the movie Kubo and the Two Strings. That movie, like all of LAIKA’s output, drips with both sincerity and whip-smart humor.
Still, fans have two causes for concern. One, of course, is that the villain Skeletor is played by Jared Leto, a man against whom “box office poison” is the least damning charge. Second is the strange overlap the 2026 movie has with the 1987 flop by the Cannon Group. In addition to casting the mostly non-English speaking Dolph Lundgren as He-Man (and a committed Frank Langella as Skeletor), the 1987 movie took place mostly on Earth, where He-Man hung out with a pre-Friends Courteney Cox and a pre-Star Trek: Voyager Robert Duncan McNeill.
While the 2026 trailer does have its Earth-based set-pieces, it clearly strives for accuracy to the toys and cartoons. Much like the Street Fighter movie also releasing this year, the film is correcting the wrong of an earlier adaptation by leaning into the silliness of the source material. Does Masters of the Universe have the power to follow in Barbie‘s footsteps? We’ll find out this summer.
Masters of the Universe will bring the power of Grayskull to theaters on June 5, 2026.
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