Unmade Live-Action Masters of the Universe Details Revealed

The development cycle for a live-action He-Man and the Masters of the Universe movie has been just as long as other doomed projects like a reboot of The Crow. Over the years directors like Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians) and McG (Terminator Salvation) have been attached, not to mention the countless screenwriters that submitted a draft including Iron Man scribes Matt Holloway and Art Marcum, Thor: Ragnarok’s Christopher Yost, and Man of Steel writer David S. Goyer. Speaking in a new interview, The Dark Knight screenwriter revealed details of his take on the He-Man material which would have made the relationship between He-Man and Battle Cat its central focus.

“I legitimately liked the script that we did,” Goyer told The Hollywood Reporter. “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. And this was a new He-Man that Battle Cat and many people didn’t think 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.”

He added, “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.”

The most recent swing at another live-action He-Man got further along than most, tapping To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before star Noah Centineo to play the titular hero. That version lingered in development for two years before the actor eventually dropped out.

Fans of the property do have plenty to look forward to though as Netflix has two different Masters of the Universe shows in the works. One of them, Masters of the Universe: Revelation, was developed by Kevin Smith and acts as a sequel to 1983–1985 FilmationTV series. The first batch of episodes for it will be released Friday, July 23, 2021.

Another, titled He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, will be a CG animated series that reimagines the classic tale with all-new storylines and a fresh take on the iconic characters.