Nicholas Galitzine has officially taken up the legendary Power Sword and transformed into He-Man. Amazon MGM Studios has shared the first image of the Red, White & Royal Blue star in their new Masters of the Universe movie with Mattel, offering an early look at his mighty physique and matching weapon which he’ll use to beat back the forces of Skeletor. The sneak peek comes as production gets underway on the long-in-the-works adaptation of the iconic toy line, which has bounced between studios for well over a decade now. Now helmed by LAIKA CEO and Bumblebee director Travis Knight, the hotly-anticipated return of He-Man and company to the big screen will come on June 5, 2026.
Though there’s little to glean from the image, which gives a close-up of Galitzine‘s hands grasping the sword, it’s a very early taste of the physical transformation he’s undergone for the role and the work done to recreate He-Man’s signature weapon. His appearance is typical of He-Man’s previous iterations, but Masters of the Universe will take the source material in a new direction that further emphasizes the importance of the blade. According to the synopsis, the film will follow a young Prince Adam after he crash lands on Earth and is separated from the Power Sword, the lone link he has left to Eternia. Once he’s grown up two decades later and finally recovers the magical weapon, he’s flung back through space to square off with Skeletor and defend his homeland. The story may be different and details are still thin, but the franchise’s theme of realizing the power within will remain as Adam goes on a journey to reconnect with his past to transform into the most powerful man in the universe.
‘Masters of the Universe’ Has Quickly Brought Together a Star-Studded Cast
Galitzine takes up the mantle of He-Man nearly four decades since Dolph Lundgren embodied Prince Adam in the 1987 movie which, similarly, brought the action to Earth. Previously, the role was planned for Kyle Allen at Netflix until that project was axed and rights were picked up by Amazon MGM with hopes of getting Masters of the Universe back off the ground quickly. Everything has moved rapidly since then as the cast quickly filled out with a long string of stars bringing to life the beloved characters surrounding He-Man. Riverdale alum Camila Mendes will co-star opposite Galatzine and alongside a supporting cast that features Morena Baccarin as The Sorceress, James Purefoy as King Randor, Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn, Charlotte Riley as Queen Marlena, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson as Malcolm/Fisto, Jared Leto as Skeletor, Idris Elba as Duncan/Man-at-Arms, Sam C. Wilson as Trap Jaw, Hafthor Bjornsson as Goat Man, Kojo Attah as Tri-Klops, Sasheer Zamata as Suzie, John Xue Zhang as Ram-Man, and Christian Vunipola as Hussein.
Masters of the Universe is written by Chris Butler, another LAIKA regular who previously penned and co-directed ParaNorman. He and Knight will look to make their stamp on a franchise that has already seen plenty of iterations, from the original 1983 animated series that started it all to the Kevin Smith-produced Masters of the Universe: Revelation and Revolution at Netflix. Their film hits theaters on June 5, 2026. Check out the first image of Galitzine as He-Man in the gallery above.
via Collider