We’re Officially 6 Months Away From The First He-Man Movie In Almost 40 Years

He-Man holds a spot as one of the truly iconic heroes in animation and pop culture in general, and the character, his allies, and his world of Eternia have enjoyed continued popularity in the decades since the cartoon debuted back in 1983. That’s actually what makes the fact that He-Man hasn’t had a movie in theaters in almost 40 years even more unbelievable, but that will all change in six months. That’s when He-Man finally returns to theaters after a rather wild journey, and we are beyond excited to see the project finally become a reality on the big screen.

On June 5th, 2026, Masters of the Universe will bring He-Man, Skeletor, and the rest of the MOTU crew to theaters once more, and it will be the first time that’s happened since the 1987 original film that starred Dolph Lundgren in the role of He-Man. This time around the role will be played by Nicholas Galitzine, who will star alongside a stacked cast that features Idris Elba, Camila Mendes, Alison Brie, and more. The journey to this point though has been a long one, and there have been attempts to make this happen previously that never could find their way to the screen.

One of the most intriguing attempts with the property is the version that was being developed by John Woo back in 2007. Someone with Woo’s resume and style could certainly bring something unique to the Masters of the Universe property, but while the project was heavily rumored for a while, it never came to fruition or even got an official green light from the studio.

Then there was the 2009 attempt from Sony Pictures, which had Mike Finch and Alex Litvak writing the script and John Stevenson directing. That attempt would then switch writers, bringing in Evan Daugherty, but a film never materialized from that attempt. Plans shifted in 2012, as Jon M. Chu was reportedly in talks to direct and Richard Wenk was brought in to rewrite the script. Terry Rossio was then hired to write the script, but Chu was no longer directing.

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In 2014, it was reported that Jeff Wadlow would direct a Masters of the Universe film and that he was rewriting the script, and that led to a report in 2015 that said Christopher Yost had been brought in to rewrite the film. Then, in 2016, McG was supposed to direct the project, and that film seemed to at least be moving forward thanks to Kellan Lutz teasing a meeting about the role of He-Man. That film even got a release date of 2019, but then McG left the project, and David Goyer was brought in to rewrite the script and direct, only for that to fall apart in 2018.

That brings us to some of the later revisions, which had Aaron and Adam Nee directing the project, and that led to a report of Noah Centineo being cast in the lead role. Unfortunately, that project fell apart as well in 2021, leading to Netflix acquiring the rights in 2022. Netflix had a good track record with the property thanks to their animated universe with Kevin Smith, and the live-action project got decently far until they cancelled the project in 2023 due to budgetary concerns.

To say Masters of the Universe has had a complicated journey is an understatement, but in 2023, the pieces finally started to fall into place, and there’s an actual film heading to theaters. Not only that, but there’s a lot to be excited about for longtime fans, as the project seems to be weaving in plenty of elements from the classic animated series.

There’s also the incredible cast, as in addition to Galitzine, the film stars Idris Elba (Man-At-Arms), Camila Mendes (Teela), Jared Leto (Skeletor), Alison Brie (Evil-Lyn), Sam C. Wilson (Trap Jaw), Hafthor Bjornsson (Goat Man), and Kojo Attah (Tri-Klops). The sheer mix of classic characters with the talent involved has huge potential, and if they can deliver a fun adventure and big action, we might just have a Masters of the Universe film franchise on our hands.

Masters of the Universe hits theaters on June 5, 2026.

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