Masters of the Universe has an incredible legacy to live up to when it is released next year, and it’s already doing a great job superseding Dolph Lundgren’s 1987 version in at least one important way. Helmed by Travis Knight, Masters of the Universe is in good hands. With an incredible world of swords, sorcery, and science fiction, the He-Man stories have great potential for the big screen, and based on these new details, that potential may be achieved in the new film.
Like Transformers, Masters of the Universe began as a line of toys before taking off as several He-Man animated series. In a hybrid setting using science fiction and fantasy, the stories focused on Prince Adam and the world of Eternia. By lifting his sword in the air and saying “by the power of Grayskull,“ Adam can transform into the hero He-Man. In this powerful state, he must resist the evil forces of Skeletor, one of the most intriguing and best villains in all cartoons. The new film is set to recapture this magic in live-action.
2026’s Masters Of The Universe Reboot Appears To Have Fairly Accurate Costumes
The New Film Seems To Put A Great Focus On Matching The Look Of The Cartoons
While little has been revealed about the new Masters of the Universe film, some first looks have been surprisingly strong. While the set leaks of Prince Adam in a pink shirt confused many with their terrestrial setting, even if the look is at least partially canonical, more recent pH๏τos have given more confidence in the project. The first official still from Masters of the Universe showed He-Man’s costume and sword and looked like an incredible recreation of exactly what audiences had hoped for from a He-Man movie.
Most recently, the first look at Camila Mendes’ Teela was shared, and it looks incredible. While there are some variations on the source material, including giving the character full pants, the look seems surprisingly accurate to the animated character. While the new film will certainly make some changes, it is comforting to see that great focus is being placed on recreating these two characters so accurately. With multiple iterations to draw from, the new film looks to have done a great job of manifesting something that feels fresh, and yet true to the source material.
Masters Of The Universe’s Accurate Costumes Go Beyond Teela & Adam
Costuming For Other Characters Including Man At Arms And Skeletor Are Also Strong
Eternia has a large roster, and the Masters of the Universe cast seems to be bringing in a fair number of these familiar characters. Masters of the Universe was given some focus at CinemaCon this year, where ScreenRant was in attendance. The film was revealed to have a great emphasis on practical effects, and details were shared showing how many of the characters and designs from the animated series have been lovingly recreated. Some footage was also shown at the event, which has been described as follows:
A BTS clip shows He-Man’s sword, with the director talking about the toys he had as a kid. “By the power of Grayskull!” is heard in the background. We see a lot of practical effects (mixed with VFX of course), accurate costumes from the cartoon, including Teela, Man at Arms, Skeletor, and huge physical sets. It ends with He-Man’s hair blowing in the wind.
Fortunately, the costumes for other characters, including Skeletor and Man at Arms, were shown at this event and matched the style of their animated counterparts. While the film can take some liberties, the details shared at CinemaCon attest to the preservation of the style from the original shows. These characters have unique and interesting looks which might seem difficult to adapt, so it is comforting to hear that the new project has made sure to retain these colorful styles.
Masters Of The Universe’s Costumes Already Look Better Than The Original 1987 Movie Had
Many Of The 1987 Movie’s Looks Were Weak
Produced by The Cannon Group, Inc., the 1987 Masters of the Universe got some details right but was not well-received. The studio became well known in the 1980s for producing low-budget movies and doing so quickly, but often at the expense of quality. Some of their biggest projects included Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, which was almost universally considered a significant step-down for the franchise. Masters of the Universe was produced similarly, in an attempt to put together a film with lower costs and potential blockbuster appeal.
1987’s Masters of the Universe was a commercial failure, grossing only $17.3 million worldwide against a $22 million budget.
This can be seen in the look of the film. While He-Man’s costuming was not bad, many of the other outfits that appeared in the movie were much weaker. Characters like Evil-Lyn and Frank Langella’s Skeletor looked cheaply produced, while several others, like Teela, did not seem to align much with the source material. This unfortunately made the entire movie look cheap and cobbled together. By putting a greater focus on images, including costuming, the new film is setting itself up for success.
It remains to be seen if 2026’s Masters of the Universe will be better than the 1987 film, but it certainly has the potential. While the Cannon version has become a cult classic, the franchise is big, exciting, and explosive enough to have much greater mᴀss appeal. With a great director, thoughtful care, and excellent costuming, the upcoming new iteration of the franchise finally has the great potential to make He-Man more popular than ever before.
