Masters of the Universe is set to make its triumphant return to theaters later this year, which will be the first time the franchise has been on the big screen since the 1987 original. That film was unfortunately a box office flop, but so far the new film has drawn mostly positive feedback, especially regarding the costumes in the film, which draw a lot of inspiration from the original cartoon but modernize the designs where it makes sense. That’s why we’re comparing the two sets of costumes below, which should give you a much better idea of the difference between the two films.
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7. The Sorceress
In the original 1987 film, the role of The Sorceress was played by Christina Pickles, and the costume was far more ornate and almost all white and silver. The headdress also changed things up and was covered in crystals, which was a big departure from the original costume that was white, blue, and orange and featured a wing-like cape.
In the 2026 MOTU film, The Sorceress is played by Morena Baccarin, and as of now, we haven’t received a clear look at her costume aside from two quick glimpses in the trailer, and even those glimpses are zoomed out too far to get much in the way of detail. That said, what is evident is the heavy use of white in the costume, but you can also see the winged cape returns in a quick shot, and there is blue and orange worked in.
6. Beast Man
Both films will also feature the villainous Beast Man in the mix, but there’s a vast difference between visual approaches. The 1987 original features Tony Carroll playing the role, and it’s a much more practical approach, with makeup and prosthetics used to bring this version to life. The hair is feral around the face, and the teeth are gnarly, though the costume remains more traditional in its armor, with much of the orange and red coloring gone, switching that out for green and brown armor.
The new actor behind the 2026 film’s Beast Man hasn’t been revealed yet, but thanks to more prevalent CGI, this version feels much more like a beast with a few human elements thrown in as opposed to the other way around. This Beast Man is much bigger in stature and features heavily spiked shoulder armor and wrist bracers. While it’s hard to tell in the quick trailer glimpse, the action figure has revealed there’s more orange and red in the fur as well, so this aims to be much closer to the cartoon than the last live-action film.
5. Teela
Next, we move to the ever-skilled warrior Teela, who was played by Chelsea Field in the 1987 film. That film completely changed the look and color scheme of Teela’s original cartoon costume, going with grey and silver for the main colors as opposed to gold and white. The changes didn’t stop there either, as instead of the orange tiara, it was a more muted headband-styled tiara, and and and the collar was rather big and went all the way around as opposed to having the high open collar armor extension from the original suit.
For the new film, Teela will be played by Camila Mendes, and the suit has received another major rework. This time around though, the color scheme of the original is back, with heavy white and gold throughout. The open collar is also back, though the suit now also includes full pants that are white with brown accents. This is an impressive modernization of the original costume, and a big improvement on the grey and silver.
4. Evil-Lyn
The powerful sorceress Evil-Lyn was played by Meg Foster in the original film, and the suit held nothing back in terms of orange design. The armor and jewels throughout the costume can’t help but shine, and while the headdress and crown are different from her original cartoon costume, they still evoke the concept of the character in their own way. There is a cluttered aspect to the movie costume, with a bunch of elements seemingly fighting against each other for attention.
In the new film, Evil-Lyn will be played by Alison Brie, and while the costume has been given a modern streamlining, this still feels true to Evil-Lyn. The armor evokes the feel of the original, but in a modern and stylish way. While the armor appears to be black at first glance, the more you inspect it, you will start to see more blue and purple start to show up, and that should look amazing on screen.
3. Man-At-Arms
The original film featured Jon Cypher playing the role of the heroic Man-At-Arms, and while there are elements of the suit’s design that feel pulled from the cartoon, the color scheme couldn’t be more different. Like Teela’s costume, Man-At-Arms is clad in a grey and silver costume, with the armor appearing more silver while the base suit is more grey. This extends to the helmet, though the visor features at least a bit of orange. The armor itself looks too small and doesn’t appear to be worth much in a firefight either, and overall, this is one of the more drastic changes from the original cartoon.
In the new film, the role will be played by Idris Elba, and thankfully, the suit brings back the more vibrant colors of the cartoon. The bodysuit is a vibrant green, and while the armor does have some metallic effects, there is still clearly an orange hue to it, and the helmet design is far more accurate to the original. This Man-At-Arms feels like he can jump into battle and do some real damage, and we can’t wait to see more of him in action.
2. Skeletor
The iconic villain known as Skeletor was played by Frank Langella in the original film, and it was a stellar performance. The first thing you notice is the white skull, and the costume featured impressive armor as well, even if it didn’t exactly scream Skeletor. In fact, that’s the biggest issue with it, as while overall it’s fine, the skull wasn’t all that intimidating, and the robes and other armor pieces added more to Skeletor’s look without necessarily making it better.
Flash forward to the 2026 film, and it will be Jared Leto bringing Skeletor to life on the big screen. In this case, we haven’t heard him talk yet, but the costume is 100% pure Skeletor. The blue skin, intensely menacing skull, and the havoc staff are all right out of the show, and even with the tweaks to the collar and gauntlets, this feels truly authentic to the original design.
1. He-Man
The He-Man of the 1987 film was played by Dolph Lundgren, who fit the character’s look from the cartoon quite well thanks to his large stature and heavily muscled build. He-Man’s actual costume in the cartoon is pretty straightforward, and while this version followed that blueprint, it changed things up with purple trunks, a purple cape, and gold-plated shoulder, chest, and belt pieces across black belts.
The new film features Nicholas Galitzine in the role of He-Man, and this version of the costume is much more aligned with the cartoon. Gone are the gold armor pieces, and in their place are two silver bracers, one silver and red piece on his chest, and the silver and gold piece on his belt. This is as quintessential He-Man as you get, and we’re excited to see He-Man defend Eternia on the big screen later this year.
Masters of the Universe is set to hit theaters on June 5th, 2026.
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Image courtesy of Tor Books/Macmillan -
Official art by Bastien Lecouffe-Deharme
