In the summer of 1987, the live-action adaptation of He-Man arrived with Dolph Lundgren playing the iconic cartoon character, but Masters of the Universe proved to be a box office flop. The film arrived years after He-Man’s popularity had peaked, but that didn’t stop the filmmakers from hoping that the film would become a series, as it even ends with a post-credits tease that Skeletor will return for a sequel. As we know, he didn’t, and in the decades since that movie, there have been countless attempts to bring the property back to life and revive it for nostalgic fans and a new generation.
This summer will not only finally bring Masters of the Universe out of the shadows, but it is poised to revive the property in a way that satisfies longtime fans who have waited for this moment. Just like the original filmmakers, though, the team behind the new Masters of the Universe clearly have had a glance toward the franchise’s potential future, and they’ve got ideas. Speaking with ComicBook in an exclusive interview ahead of the film’s premiere, director Travis Knight and stars Nicholas Galitzine (He-Man) and Camila Mendes (Teela) were quick to open up about their hopes for a sequel to Masters of the Universe.
“I dipped a lot into He-Mans appearances in DC as well because first of all, there are some amazing illustrations there,” Galitzine revealed. “But I love this notion of playing with what ultimate power does to you. There are so many ways you can go with Adam because he’s such a feeling person; he’s so driven by emotion. We see a little bit, in the movie, what happens when someone experiences hubris, and I think that that’s a very fascinating thing to play with when someone has the ultimate power, and how does that affect their moral compass? And so there are just so many different ways we can go and so many characters that are introduced as well, which is quite exciting.”
Teela actress Camila Mendes was quick to bounce on a key element of sequel bait that was included in the upcoming film, noting that she and her co-star Morena Baccarin absolutely spoke about the relationship their characters have, even if the movie itself doesn’t actually address it.
“Travis was really clever in how he cast her,” Mendes said. “And as soon as I saw that casting, I was like, ‘Oh, I see what you’re doing. I see you’re thinking ahead, and I like that.’ I’m excited to explore the deeper aspects of her relationship with her father and Adam, but also…I’m excited to hopefully be able to explore more about Teela’s relationship to the Sorceress.”
For filmmaker Travis Knight, who already got the chance to put his mark on the Transformers with Bumblebee, making Masters of the Universe allowed him to revive another beloved ’80s property. According to Knight, working on the film was “one of the most joyous experiences” of his career, and he believes the joy that they felt on set can be seen in the final product of the movie itslf.
“Look, it’s a big world,” Knight teased about the Masters of the Universe future. “These are amazing characters. There are so many stories to tell. I feel like I approach all of these things as if I only ever get one shot at it. And we gave everything we could to this movie, and if that’s all we ever do, I’m happy with that. But there are many, many stories to tell. And if the world demands more, we’d be happy to give it.
Masters of the Universe arrives on June 5
