Amazon MGM’s live-action He-Man outing Masters of the Universe just cast its most important villain, Skeletor.
The adaptation, directed by Bumblebee helmer Travis Knight, will be the second live-action interpretation based on the property (following the 1987 Dolph Lundgren-starring first outing). The franchise’s origin began with Mattel’s 1982 toy line, which produced an iconic cartoon that ran for 65 episodes across two seasons.
The He-Man franchise has interesting cultural merit thanks to its fueling of various modern meme formats, among which Skeletor, He-Man’s arch-nemesis, has a particular resonance. Finding the right Skeletor is key for the forthcoming live-action project, and today’s update is accompanied by a few more villains for He-Man to best (by the power of Grayskull).
Jared put the Leto in ‘Skeletor’
The recent announcement revealed Jared Leto will be cast as the skull-faced antagonist (via Variety) in the film, which is slated to premiere June 5, 2026. He joins a host of newly cast characters, including Sam C. Wilson as Trap Jaw, Kojo Attah as Tri-Klops, and Hafthor Bjornsson (of Game of Thrones fame) joining as Goat Man.
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Skeletor will square off against Nicholas Galitzine’s He-Man. The film will be scripted by ParaNorman’s Chris Butler, building off a draft by David Callaham, and Aaron and Adam Nee (originally set for a live-action adaptation at Netflix before the project’s cancellation in mid-2023).
It’s never been a better time for live-action adaptations based on Mattel toy lines, at least in theory. With Barbie debuting to a massive box office take and serious critical acclaim (as well as sequel rumors), striking while the iron is hot makes sense. Expecting the same glowing response might be wishful thinking, but in adapting He-Man the company is clearly hoping to capture a different demographic altogether, and is coming off newfound respectability for adaptations based off toy lines.
