'Masters of the Universe' brings '80 icons roaring to life – Exclusive

Brian Truitt, USA TODAYThu, May 21, 2026 at 1:01 PM UTC

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Seeing Fisto, Ram Man, Trap-Jaw and, yes, He-Man walk around in real life made “Masters of the Universe” director Travis Knight feel like a kid again.

“I played with these little plastic action figures, and to see these giant, real-life humans wearing these amazing costumes, it was actually quite moving for me,” Knight says.

And if you have no idea who any of those names are, that’s OK. Knight has fond memories of “Masters of the Universe” toys, cartoons and action figures from when they launched in the early 1980s. And now, he’s joyfully introducing these colorful personalities to a younger generation with his new movie (in theaters June 5).

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Adam Glenn (Nicholas Galitzine) transforms into the ripped He-Man when he calls upon the power of Grayskull in the fantasy adventure "Masters of the Universe."

Nicholas Galitzine ("Red, White & Royal Blue," "Purple Hearts") stars in the fantasy adventure as Adam Glenn, who was sent away from his homeland of Eternia at age 10 – along with the magical Sword of Power – to keep him safe from the evil forces of Skeletor (Jared Leto). Adam lost the weapon during his trippy journey to Earth, and now as an adult, he seeks out the sword so he can get home. It leads to a reunion with old friends like Man-at-Arms (Idris Elba) and Teela (Camila Mendes) but also Adam striving to become the best man – and He-Man – he can be.

Knight originally fell in love with this world – and still adores it – because of how strange and “out there” it was. “They had so many different combinations that should not go together,” he says. “Barbarians in furry knickers with battle axes and swords. Robots with laser guns. Spaceships and catapults. Dudes with neon DayGlo leggings, and a guy with a skull for a face.

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“He-Man was just a mash-up of all these crazy things that I loved.”

“Masters of the Universe” is dripping with nostalgia – there is, of course, plenty of old-school He-Man Easter eggs but also a heavy “Flash Gordon” influence and ‘80s rock guitar courtesy of Queen’s Brian May. It also cleverly explores He-Man mythology through a kid’s perspective.

Names for heroes like Mekaneck, Fisto and Ram Man as well as villains such as Beast Man and Trap Jaw come directly from the Reagan-era toy line. But in the film, the characters are called that because it’s what 10-year-old Adam dubbed them as he drew pictures of them, remembering his time on Eternia.

How did Fisto (Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson) get his name in "Masters of the Universe"? Because that's what a 10-year-old boy calls him.

“Eternia is, on some level, sort of a representation of the things that we love from our childhood, and it's viewed through a child's eyes, and he still kind of sees it that way,” Knight says of his main character. “It was a really fun and interesting way for us to not only evoke the nostalgia that people who grew up with this stuff remember, but also a way in for new audiences who don't know anything about the lore of the characters, who've never played with a He-Man doll or who’ve only seen a meme online.”

Of course, grown-ups who remember Evil-Lyn and Moss Man from back in the day will get chills hearing Galitzine yell, "By the power of Grayskull ... I have the power!" and transforming into the extremely ripped He-Man. But Knight didn’t want “Masters of the Universe” to be just for He-Man lovers. He wanted to make a movie for everybody.

“My hope is that whether you're a fan or not,” he says, “you're still going to have a good time.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: ‘Masters of the Universe’ brings back '80s icon He-Man – Exclusive

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