There have been several different interpretations of the Masters of the Universe in various media since the original animated series aired in the '80s, but it sounds like the upcoming live-action reboot from Amazon MGM and Mattel is going to make a pretty major change to the established lore surrounding Prince Adam/He-Man.
According to scooper Daniel Richtman, the movie will introduce Adam as a regular guy in "the real world," working "a boring office job." Apparently, "the whole He-Man and Masters of the Universe story are tales he heard as a little kid."
If accurate, this would suggest that the following rumored synopsis was indeed on the level.
“10-year-old Prince Adam who crashed to Earth in a spaceship and was separated from his magical Power Sword—the only link to his home on Eternia. After tracking it down almost two decades later, Prince Adam is whisked back across space to defend his home planet against the evil forces of Skeletor. But to defeat such a powerful villain, Prince Adam will first need to uncover the mysteries of his past and become He-Man: the most powerful man in the Universe!”
Again, there have been a few variations on Prince Adam's origin in the animated shows and comic books over the years, but this would be the first time we'd see the character grow up on Earth before making his way back to Eternia as an adult - although it's worth noting that the '80s live-action movie starring Dolph Lundgren was primarily set on Earth.
It's not exactly an original concept, but it would allow Adam to become more of an audience surrogate and add a "stranger in a strange land" dynamic.
The movie will star Nicholas Galitzine (Purple Hearts, Red, White & Royal Blue, The Idea of You) as Prince Adam/He-Man, Riverdale alum Camila Mendes as his right-hand woman and (possible) love-interest, Teela, and Alison Brie (GLOW, Community) as Skeletor's second-in-command, Evil-Lyn.
More recently, we learned that Idris Elba (Thor, Luther) will play Man-At-Arms, and Jared Leto (Morbius, Blade Runner 2049) has been confirmed for the main villain role of Skeletor.
After numerous false starts, Netflix was all set to develop a feature take on the beloved animated series back in 2022, but we got word earlier this year that the latest attempt to get the project off the ground had also fallen by the wayside.
However, we'd later learn that Amazon/MGM Studios had acquired the movie, with Bumblebee director Travis Knight in talks to helm. The movie is now set to hit theaters on June 5, 2026.
Chris Butler rewrote the script from an initial draft by David Callaham (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings). Previously, the Nee Brothers (The Lost City) were attached to direct.
Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch will produce, along with DeVon Franklin.
What do you make of these plot details? Would you be okay with He-Man starting out obvious to his Eternian heritage? Drop us a comment down below.