He-Man is finally coming to live-action, and it seems like star Nicholas Galitzine has not taken the assignment lightly. Recent footage of Masters of the Universe shown at CinemaCon reportedly revealed Galitzine’s buff look and incredible blowout that gives him a straight out of the ‘80s cartoon look.
Travis Knight’s upcoming live-action adaptation of the popular cartoon is under production, and fans were delighted to see practical sets, costumes of Idris Elba’s Man-at-Arms, and the general vibe of the film more reminiscent of the cartoon series. The highlight seemed to be Jared Leto’s faceless glimpse as Skeletor.
Nicholas Galitzine looks incredible as He-Man in CinemaCon footage for Masters of the Universe
Nicholas Galitzine’s casting as He-Man for Travis Knight’s Masters of the Universe was initially met with a lot of skepticism from fans. The actor was known for his roles in the comedy Bottoms and the romances Purple Hearts and The Idea of You. Not really the ideal type for a superhero who has the strength and ability to take on Superman.
However, recent footage released at CinemaCon this week reportedly showed Galitzine’s new look for the film. The actor seems to have left no holds barred to get to the buff look of He-Man, as the behind-the-scenes footage screened showed his intense workout regime, his superhero-level biceps, and hair straight out of the ‘80s cartoon (via Variety).
The footage also reportedly showed glimpses of other characters in the upcoming film. Idris Elba, who moves on from his roles in both the DCEU and the MCU, stars as Man-at-Arms and his look was also revealed. Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn and Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson as Goat Man were reportedly also shown.
While Jared Leto has been cast as Skeletor, the actor’s final look was reportedly kept in the shadows as he showed up with a hooded robe without his face visible. Seems like the film still wants to retain some surprises for the audience.
Travis Knight’s Masters of the Universe borrows heavily from the cartoons
Despite being such a huge IP, it is criminal that a live-action He-Man film took so long to get to reality. The film was reportedly stuck in development hell for quite some time, with the closest it ever came to fruition being in 2018 with the director duo the Nee Brothers, with Kyle Allen playing He-Man and Netflix producing (via Deadline).
However, the streaming giant reportedly canceled the film due to budgetary concerns, after which the project was taken over by Amazon-MGM Studios. Travis Knight replaced the Nee Brothers as the director of the project. In the BTS footage shown at CinemaCon, Knight stressed the importance of the ‘80s cartoon and how he plans to stick to that aesthetic.
Knight mentioned that he was highly influenced by the cartoon and that he did not want to ‘update’ the aesthetic to fit a live-action version, but rather wanted to lean into it (via THR). This creative direction showed with the practical sets as well as the costumes of the main characters, including He-Man, Man-at-Arms, and Evil Lyn.
Masters of the Universe will release in cinemas on June 5, 2026.
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