Way back in 2017, David S. Goyer was tapped to pen a new live-action take on the Masters of the Universe franchise. It looked like he might even direct the project, but the filmmaker chose to walk away from that role the following year.
Ultimately, the decision was made not to move forward with Goyer's screenplay because it would be too expensive to shoot, and the movie has been through several iterations since. Earlier this year, actor Noah Centineo officially exited the latest iteration, leaving Sony Pictures without a He-Man.
Talking to The Hollywood Reporter, Goyer elaborated on his plans for the reboot and reveals that it was set to follow He-Man and his relationship with Battle Cat.
"I legitimately liked the script that we did. What I liked the most about it was that it was mostly about a friendship between He-Man and Battle Cat. The idea was there had always been He-Men and different recipients of the Sword of Power and that Battle Cat had always served at their side," the filmmaker explained. "And this was a new He-Man that Battle Cat and many people didn’t think it was worthy of the sword."
"So it was a story of the character earning the sword, but, more importantly, earning the friendship of Battle Cat, who just thought this guy was a lightweight. I really liked it. I thought it was a fun story. There was a lot of humor in it and it creeps up on you because Battle Cat sort of grudgingly accepts him, and it’s Battle Cat’s acceptance of He-Man that gave this version of the story heart."
This is certainly an interesting approach to Masters of the Universe, and one it might have been fun to see play out on screen. Some fans might not have been best pleased with "He-Man" basically being a title passed down from hero to hero, but this movie putting a fresh spin on mythology - and focusing on Battle Cat - could have gone some way towards helping to make it a hit.
As of right now, there's no word on what the plan is for He-Man on the big screen.