Masters of the Universe arrives in theaters next week, and Skeletor remains the biggest source of intrigue for many fans. While TRON: Ares star Jared Leto is far from the most popular choice to play the iconic villain, his face will be hidden behind a CG skull, making this primarily a voiceover role.
A fresh look at Skeletor has hit (via SFFGazette.com): both on a poster for the movie and as an action figure, the latter of which features a startling new look for Skeletor. Part of an upcoming line of toys tied to the movie, we see the villain in a business suit, with Panthor shrunk down and portrayed as a regular, albeit oddly coloured, cat.
Seeing as part of Masters of the Universe takes place on Earth—that's where Prince Adam has spent a big chunk of his life before finally returning to Eternia—it's possible that Skeletor also heads there. Could he be He-Man's horrible boss, working to stop him from returning home?
We'll have to wait and see, but with almost no official details revealed about the toy, we're in the dark. It is, however, hard to say why else it would have been made if this isn't a look featured in the movie itself at some point.
Masters of the Universe will feature a Skeletor that looks like he's stepped straight out of the cartoon—that was evident from a recent Hot Toys figure reveal—but a business suit? It'll be interesting to see how the movie explains that.
"Skeletor was a really interesting villain," Masters of the Universe director Travis Knight shared earlier this year. "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."
Check out this new Masters of the Universe action figure and poster featuring Skeletor below.
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.
The supporting cast includes Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn, Morena Baccarin as The Sorceress, James Purefoy as King Randor, Charlotte Riley as Queen Marlena, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson as Fisto, Kojo Attah as Tri-Klops, Sam C. Wilson as Trap Jaw, Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson as Goat Man, Jon Xue Zhang as Ram-Man, Stephen Adentan as Moss Man, James Wilkinson as Mekaneck, and Kristen Wiig as Roboto.
Masters of the Universe opens in UK cinemas on June 3, and arrives in the U.S. on June 5.