It took around 40 years, but after a long and winding road, the Masters of the Universe movie is finally becoming a reality, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to see it finally hit the big screen. The film feels like a true embrace of the original cartoon that so many fans still adore to this day, but like with any modern reboot or revival, there are still going to be some changes from those original looks and character designs. That’s why we’re breaking down each of the heroes and villains in the new movie and comparing them to their designs from the original series, and we’re starting with one of the bigger transformations.
Videos by ComicBook.com
11. Roboto
Roboto is one of the heroic defenders of Eternia, and he also happened to have one of the wildest designs in the original series. Roboto had a transparent body that allowed you to see the inner workings of his robotic body and the gears that made it all run. He also boasted a claw arm and a helmet that featured a small visor with an additional piece around the bottom of the helmet.
As you can see in the image above, Roboto has received a massive power upgrade and is now a truly imposing warrior without even having to lift a finger. While he’s received an overhaul, there are still connecting elements, including the claw hand, the visor, and the blue color scheme on the body. One thing that could be held back for a later reveal is the transparent body, as the new version has a large chest plate that could be covering that up for some big moment during the film. Fingers crossed that’s the case, but even without it, he still looks fantastic.
10. Spikor
Our first villain of the list is Spikor, and he’s received quite the overhaul as well. The original Spikor is easily one of the most colorful villain designs, with his purple and pink design that comes with large purple spikes. The character was also typically portrayed as more of a bumbling henchman, but the new version seems to throw most of the elements out the window.
The new design features the character’s trademark spikes all over his body and head, and his skin seems to be a more muted purple. From the brief glimpse we get, this Spikor is ready to deliver a beatdown to someone off-screen, and he looks far more intimidating and menacing than his cartoon counterpart.
9. Fisto
Moving back to the heroes, we arrive at one of the more direct interpretations from animation to film with Fisto. Fisto’s claim to fame is his expertise in hand-to-hand combat, which is anchored by his powerful metal gauntlet. The original series keeps things simple with a rather iconic design and a giant metal fist, and the movie clearly understood the assignment.
We only see a brief glimpse of Fisto in the trailer, but two things are clear. His armor design is a bit slicker in style but still keeps things simple, and he has a giant metal fist that will absolutely wreck fools on the battlefield. In this case, mission accomplished, no notes.
8. Trap Jaw
Trap Jaw didn’t get much screen time in the trailer, but even with that quick glimpse, he looks like one of the most accurate translations from the cartoon. The blue body, pink helmet, and the multi-weapon arm are all accounted for, but when we look at the toy render, it’s even more accurate thanks to the green face.
It does appear that some colors on his trunks, belt, and legs have been tweaked, though there is still some green in the legs amongst all of the metal. The cyborg has never been deadlier though, as his bladed weapon looks lethal, and we are likely to see even more weapon attachments throughout the movie.
7. Cringer
Just as Prince Adam transforms into the powerful warrior He-Man, Adam’s beloved pet Cringer also transforms into the mighty and fearless warrior Battle Cat. Like Trap Jaw, this is pretty much a 1-to-1 recreation in terms of the overall look from the cartoon, as Cringer boasts a green main color with orange stripes.
The biggest difference here is in terms of how Cringer is depicted before his transformation. The first time we see Cringer in the trailer, he is seemingly in his base form, but he’s already rather imposing and seems to have no issue standing right alongside the other warriors. In the original series, there was a bigger leap from pet to warrior, with base Cringer being far more scared and playful before all of that changes in Battle Cat form. We’ll have to see how it plays out in the movie, but on the design side, this is an incredibly accurate portrayal.
6. Beast Man
One of Skeletor’s heaviest hitters is the fearsome Beast Man, and from the looks of the trailer, he is going to be a force to be reckoned with on the big screen as well. The trailer gives fans a great up-close look at Beast Man’s overall design, and though the pose and the lighting make it a bit difficult to see if all of the original design’s elements made it into the movie, his overall look is on point.
Beast Man’s armor used to be where the spikes were primarily located, and while that’s also true here, thanks to what look like shoulder cauldrons and wrist bracers, there are also other spikes coming out of his shoulders and back. His fur seems to be an orange color, but his armor is no longer red, going for a more practical grey or black. He looks amazing so far though, even if he’s not as close to the original as other characters in the film.
5. Teela
Next, we move to the brave warrior Teela, and this design is probably the most modernized of the entire cast, and yet it still very much evokes Teela through and through. The gold plating on the white suit, the high color with the gold accents, and the longer bracers are all here, though the overall design has more details than the original.
The bracers have texture and more detail on the outside, and the pants continue the gold and white color scheme, broken up by the angled belt and leg strap. We haven’t seen the sword and shield yet, though the toy render did reveal a closer look at her other weaponry, which includes a rifle and a smaller sidearm. The toys also indicates she will have the tiara, even if we don’t see it in the footage that’s been released. Overall, a great modern update, but one of the bigger departures from the original suit.
4. Evil-Lyn
The powerful sorceress Evil-Lyn is only second to Skeletor in terms of power, and she looks to have retained the most iconic qualities of her suit from the original series. We don’t get a long scene with her in the trailer, but you can already spot the iconic helmet, the detailed armor, and her magical staff.
The action figure gives us a better look at her armor, and while there are certainly changes, it still feels unquestionably Evil-Lyn. The one thing that stands out is that the color seems like a bluish purple as opposed to the brighter purple in the cartoon. There’s also a slick blue accent effect in the pants, but it will be interesting to see how that translates onscreen.
3. Man-At-Arms
Next, we have the ever-popular hero Man-At-Arms, and the character in the film looks like a true modern representation of the original. There are slight changes to the armor design, but the overall design of the suit is mostly intact, with the biggest change being the color of the armor itself.
In the cartoon, the armor is straight up pure orange, and it meshes well with the darker green suit underneath. The green suit in the film has some texture added, but is pretty much 1 to 1. The armor does have an orange tint, but with some substantial weathering. Looking at the toy though, the orange is more pronounced, and there’s actually some green mixed in to give it a more magical effect. Like Evil-Lyn’s suit, it will be interesting to see how this looks in brighter lighting on the screen.
2. Skeletor
The big bad of Masters of the Universe is the immensely powerful Skeletor, and thankfully, he looks in many ways as if he stepped out of the cartoon. The skull is white instead of yellow this time around, and instead of the straps across his chest, he has a larger and overall more detailed chest and collar piece, but that is still pure Skeletor in the film.
Skeletor’s staff is also accounted for, and we get to see him fight He-Man with it as the trailer comes to a close. The character looks pretty accurate, and we can’t wait to see more of that epic battle.
1. He-Man
Speaking of He-Man, it’s time to put the protector of Eternia in the spotlight, and like Skeletor, he’s an incredibly direct translation of the cartoon. The hair gets a bit of styling, the bracers get an upgrade, and there’s also armor and a full belt around his waist as opposed to the trunks only look he had in the original. Those are minor changes though to what is mostly a direct translation from the cartoon, and coupled with the Sword of Power that also looks pulled directly from the original, you’ve got one of the most accurate He-Man’s ever.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
Most Viewed
-
Official art by Bastien Lecouffe-Deharme -
A photo of the Retrovolt Arcade taken in 2017, showing several classic arcade cabinets and stools. -
Image Courtesy of Paramount
