Galitzine shared a photo of his character’s muscular transformation on Instagram, and in it, he’s wielding the Sword of Power – the magical weapon that grants the character his transition.
“After several months of intense training, I’m thrilled to share that we’re officially in production on Masters of the Universe,” he wrote alongside in a caption.
He continued: “Our director Travis Knight has assembled the most incredible ensemble cast and created a stunning tapestry of Eternia and its surrounding world. I can’t wait for you to see.
“More to come, but until then, here’s a sneak peek at the Sword of Power. By the power of Grayskull!”
In an interview with W Magazine last month, Galitzine opened up about the intense preparation he underwent ahead of filming. “No pressure, I just have to embody the strongest man in the universe,” he joked.
He continued: “There’s been a lot of eating and weightlifting, a lot of stunts. I’m eating about 4,000 calories a day, but the amount of physical work I’m doing, you end up hungry at the end of the day, which is quite surprising. This is the fun part.
“I will eventually go into what’s called the cutting phase, where I’m going to be starved and so rude to everyone. I can only apologise for the person I’m going to become in a few months’ time.”
Joining Galitzine in the film’s cast is Riverdale’s Camila Mendes as Teela, Prince Adam’s Royal Guard Captain and potential love interest, while GLOW star Alison Brie has joined the cast as Evil-Lyn, one of the film’s key villains.
Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson (Captain America: Brave New World) has also joined the cast of the film as Fisto, He-Man’s warrior ally.
Earlier this month (February 2025), Jóhannesson teased a “really fun script”.
“Filming starts in about a week or so, a couple weeks,” he told Deadline on the red carpet at the world premiere of Captain America: Brave New World.
“Up until now, it’s been a lot of weight-lifting and rehearsing, but we’re about to get into it, and we’ve got a really fun script that everyone in the cast loves. So, we can’t wait to get on set and perform it,” he continued.
Mattel kicked off the Masters of the Universe franchise with a line of action figures that debuted in 1982.
The brand went on to inspire the animated series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe in 1983 before a live-action Masters of the Universe film was released in 1987.
More recently, He-Man popped up in a 2021 animated series on Netflix, titled Masters of the Universe: Revelation, but the new movie will mark the character’s first big-screen debut.
So, when can we expect it? Read on for everything we know so far.
Masters of the Universe movie release date
The Masters of the Universe live-action movie is set to be released globally on 5th June 2026 by Amazon/MGM.
The film has been stuck in development hell for decades but, on 23rd February, Mattel and the Masters of the Universe franchise confirmed that filming had finally kicked off.
“By the Power of Grayskull, filming for the new Masters of the Universe movie has officially kicked off!” the social media post read.
“We are thrilled to introduce our incredible cast, bringing your favourite characters to life and a few new additions along the way,” it continued.
Masters of the Universe cast: Who’s set to star in the movie alongside Nicholas Galitzine?
As detailed above, the leading role of Prince Adam/He-Man has been cast, with rising star Nicholas Galitzine filling the part.
Joining Galitzine is Riverdale’s Camila Mendes, who is set to portray Prince Adam’s Royal Guard Captain and potential love interest, Teela.
Meanwhile, musician and actor Jared Leto is set to appear as the franchise’s villain, Skeletor, while GLOW star Alison Brie has joined the cast as Evil-Lyn, Skeletor’s second-in-command.
Idris Elba has also been cast as Duncan (Man-at-Arms), an ally to He-Man and adoptive dad to Teela.
The full cast list is as follows:
- Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Adam/He-Man
- Camila Mendes as Teela
- Jared Leto as Skeletor
- Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn
- Idris Elba as Duncan/Man-at-Arms
- Sam C Wilson as Trap Jaw
- Hafthor Bjornsson as Villains Goat Man
- And Kojo Attah as Tri-Klops
- Morena Baccarin as The Sorceress
- Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson as Fisto
- James Purefoy as King Randor
- Charlotte Riley as Queen Marlena
- Sasheer Zamata as Suzie
- Jon Xue Zhang as Ram-Man
- Christian Vunipola as Hussein
Behind the camera, Travis Knight (Bumblebee) is directing from a script by Chris Butler, while Mattel Films’ Robbie Brenner and Escape Artists’ Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch are producing.
Masters of the Universe movie plot
The film is based on the 1980s cartoon series, which centres on Prince Adam of Eternia who, thanks to a magic sword, transforms into the powerful He-Man.
Imbued with superhuman strength, he’s tasked with defending his home planet from the villainous sorcerer Skeletor and his armies.
The film’s official synopsis is as follows: “Ten-year-old Prince Adam crashed to Earth in a spaceship and was separated from his magical Power Sword, the only link to his home on Eternia.
“After tracking it down almost two decades later, Prince Adam is whisked back across space to defend his home planet against the evil forces of Skeletor.
“But to defeat such a powerful villain, Prince Adam will first need to uncover the mysteries of his past and become He-Man: the most powerful man.”
Is there a trailer for Masters of the Universe?
It’s too early for any footage given that filming has only just kicked off. But watch this space!
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