From all indications, Gen X is about to be very pleased and a new generation will be introduced to Prince Adam/He-Man. On Thursday morning, Amazon MGM Studios released the first trailer for Masters of the Universe, a live-action adaptation of the popular ’80s cartoon.
The main cast of Masters of the Universe – Amazon MGM Studios, YouTube
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According to the official logline, “after being separated for 15 years, the Sword of Power leads Prince Adam back to Eternia where he discovers his home shattered under the fiendish rule of Skeletor.” The two-and-a-half-minute trailer suggests that director Travis Knight has found a fresh take for the iconic character that doesn’t lean on MCU-style humor.
You can watch the trailer below.
Discover your true power. Watch the Teaser Trailer for Masters Of The Universe now, and see the movie only in theaters June 5. pic.twitter.com/Wc10XROPRb
— Masters of the Universe (@mastersmovie) January 22, 2026
Trailer Breakdown
The trailer opens with a voiceover from Prince Adam (Nicholas Galitzine), explaining that he comes from a place where talking tigers, spaceships, and “magic swords that can make a man as mighty as a god” are real. We see a young Prince Adam sent to Earth from Eternia, where he grows up to become a weary human resources manager in Adam’s signature pink shirt and with a nameplate showing his pronouns.
Adam’s nameplate in Masters of the Universe – Amazon MGM Studios, YouTube
He needs his sword to return home, and eventually finds it in a shop with other “nerd stuff and sword things.” Once he has it in his possession, however, Adam is apparently transported back to Eternia. The next few shots show him meeting Teela (Camila Mendes), Man-At-Arms (Idris Elba), and Battle-Cat (voiced by Stephen Root). Adam expresses some doubt about his mission, but Man-At-Arms, functioning as the mentor, tells him, “Take the sword. Protect them.”
Adam holding the sword in Masters of the Universe – Amazon MGM Studios, YouTube
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The rest of the trailer is filled with action shots set both in Eternia and on Earth, including spaceship battles and monsters attacking a city. Fans are also given their first look at Jared Leto’s Skeletor and a blink-and-you-miss-it glimpse of Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn. In the final moment, He-Man wields his sword and shouts, “I have the power!”
While some of the shots are arguably derivative of other superhero fare, the Masters of the Universe trailer hits all the iconic moments without being soaked in nostalgia.
First Impressions
The question remains whether or not fans want He-Man to have an origin story. The original cartoon presented Prince Adam as already in full control of his He-Man powers and established in Eternia. Similarly, the 1987 Dolph Lundgren film had a fully-formed He-Man and didn’t feature his Prince Adam alter ego at all. Still, it could be a comfortable entry point for a new audience that was raised on Marvel films.
Jared Leto as Skeletor in Masters of the Universe – Amazon MGM Studios, YouTube
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While the pronouns joke may raise a few eyebrows, it could also be argued that for a present-day He-Man movie not to acknowledge the current trend would be a missed opportunity to poke fun at modern sensibilities. Overall, the Masters of the Universe trailer presents the character as one who is masculine and capable, with room to grow. Leto is completely unrecognizable as Skeletor, though the trailer doesn’t give him a chance to speak.
If the story follows through on the trailer’s promise of a hero returning home to save his world, the movie could launch a new cinematic universe. Fans will be able to make their own decision on how successfully the franchise is translated to the big screen when Masters of the Universe arrives in theaters on June 5.
What did you think of the Masters of the Universe Trailer? Sound off in the comments!
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