Nearly 40 years after first wielding the Power Sword on the big screen, Dolph Lundgren has weighed in on the disappointing box office performance of Amazon MGM’s new Masters of the Universe reboot.
Speaking with ComicBook.com in a recent exclusive interview, Lundgren said, “Yeah, I was a bit disappointed. I mean, everybody told me it’s going to do great.” The original He-Man, who has a cameo in the new film, added that while he doesn’t allow box office performance to change how he feels about a movie, he found it strange that the reboot didn’t perform better.
Dolph Lundgren in the 1987 Masters of the Universe – Unseen Trailers, YouTube
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“And I don’t know why that it is,” he said. “They did a lot of marketing, they did a lot of press.”
Some observers have argued that the film’s marketing campaign may have been part of the problem.
The Marketing Campaign Sparked Early Controversy
When Amazon MGM Studios released the first trailer for Masters of the Universe in January, it struck a very different tone from the Dolph Lundgren original. It featured the full cast of characters, brighter colors, and visual effects that would have been impossible in 1987.
However, it also included a present-day pronoun joke that immediately sparked debate online. Nicholas Galitzine’s Prince Adam is shown sitting at a desk with a nameplate displaying his preferred pronouns. Some viewed it as an obvious joke, given that the hero’s name is He-Man. Others argued that it signaled the filmmakers were steering the film in a more progressive direction.
Adam’s nameplate in Masters of the Universe – Amazon MGM Studios, YouTube
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Either way, the first look at the movie immediately burdened the conversation surrounding Masters of the Universe with broader cultural debates.
The Debate Continued Throughout the Press Tour
Initial reactions to the trailer, however, were generally positive. That momentum took a hit a few weeks later when director Travis Knight described Skeletor as “the embodiment of toxic masculinity.” To some, the statement suggested that the director was approaching the material through a modern ideological framework.
Those concerns were later heightened when Teela actress Camila Mendes suggested that her interpretation of the character was shaped by negative male influences.
Teela in Masters of the Universe – YouTube, Amazon MGM Studios
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“She’s affected by toxic masculinity just as much as the men in the film. And I think she’s sort of adopted masculinity to protect herself in this very masculine world. It’s how she survives,” Mendes said.
Exactly what the director and actress meant by those ambiguous buzzwords remained a topic of heated debate in the months leading up to the film’s release.
After Masters of the Universe posted a weak opening weekend, Mendes said in another interview, “I feel like I was a little inspired by Daisy Ridley’s performance in Star Wars.”
Ridley’s Rey Skywalker remains one of the most divisive characters in modern pop culture. Mendes’ comment continued the pattern of the Masters of the Universe marketing drawing attention away from the film itself and toward broader cultural debates.
Lundgren Believes Time Will Be the Ultimate Judge
Dolph Lundgren’s Masters of the Universe similarly underperformed at the box office, though for entirely different reasons. It has since become a cult classic. The actor remains unsure what the future holds for the new film.
“Will Nick be signing swords for 40 years, like I have been? I don’t know,” Lundgren said.
He Man in Masters of The Universe – Amazon MGM Studios
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He went on to note that some massive box office hits are largely forgotten decades later, while other films that initially disappoint go on to become enduring classics through home video, streaming, and passionate fan communities.
For now, Lundgren’s comments highlight the fact that an abundance of marketing and press is not enough to guarantee a film’s box office success. They also serve as a reminder that a movie’s long-term cultural impact is not always reflected by its initial reception.
Why do you think the new Masters of the Universe underperformed at the box office? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
