The first Masters of the Universe trailer has dropped, and it makes a smart choice with Jared Leto’s Skeletor. We’ve finally had a first trailer for Travis Knight’s Masters of the Universe, and it unveils a gloriously “true to source” look at the heroes and villains of Eternia. No detail has been spared in terms of the costumes and character designs, with everyone from Teela to Fisto faithfully recreated for the big-screen. It’s a far cry from the 1987 box office flop, even if there are a few blink-and-you’ll-miss-them nods and winks.
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The reaction online has been electrifying. Fans are thrilled to see one of their most-loved childhood franchises brought to life in such a faithful way, not least because the accurate designs have been complemented by out-of-this-world casting choices. There’s just one exception, though; Jared Leto’s Skeletor is a controversial choice, not least because his star has waned over the last year or so after serious accusations were raised against him. Last year’s Tron: Ares significantly underperformed, with many blaming Leto, making him something of a gamble for Masters of the Universe.
The Masters of the Universe Trailer Hides Leto’s Skeletor Performance
We don’t see a lot of Skeletor in the Masters of the Universe trailer. Even then, the focus is purely on the design, which is a stunning recreation of the original. That does mean there’s absolutely no way to tell this is Leto at a glance, given the extensive use of prosthetics and CGI. Some have been unable to resist pointing this out on social media:
To be fair, Travis Knight has always said how much he loved Masters of the Universe. There was no way he was going to be responsible for creating a Skeletor who wasn’t a perfect recreation of the original. The real problem, though, will come with Leto’s voice and performance, because there’s no real way to hide that. There’s a good chance Leto’s chosen voice will be divisive.
But the Masters of the Universe trailer even hides that. There’s plenty of dialogue in there, but not a single word from Leto. He is seen but silent, with Skeletor shown as an imposing presence or leaping into action in battle. There’s no way Masters of the Universe can sustain this as time passes, of course, but this first trailer at least means viewers are getting to experience Eternia without heated debate about Leto defining it. For now, hype is building, and there’s simply nothing to detract from it.
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