Mattel and Amazon MGM’s live-action Masters of the Universe movie has added yet another noteworthy name to its cast. Variety reports that Morbius and House of Gucci star Jared Leto has signed on to play the skull-faced sorcerer known as Skeletor in the film. Skeletor is the villainous archnemesis of He-Man, who will be played in the new Masters of the Universe movie by Bottoms and The Idea of You actor Nicholas Galitzine.
Sam C. Wilson (House of the Dragon), Kojo Attah (The Beekeeper), and Hafthor Bjornsson (Game of Thrones) have also joined the Masters of the Universe cast as Trap Jaw, Tri-Klops, and Goat Man, three of Skeletor’s henchmen. They, along with Leto, mark the latest additions to what is shaping up to be a star-studded ensemble, which already includes Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn, Skeletor’s second-in-command; Idris Elba as Duncan/Man-At-Arms, one of He-Man’s closest allies; and Camila Mendes as Teela, Man-At-Arms’ fierce adopted daughter.
Masters of the Universe‘s plot is currently being kept under wraps. It seems safe to assume, however, that the film will stick close to the premise of its franchise’s original Mattel toy line and the 1983 animated series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, which revolves around Prince Adam of the planet Eternia, whose use of a weapon known as the Power Sword transforms him into a warrior named He-Man. Together with his allies, He-Man fights to protect Eternia and the coveted Castle Grayskull from nefarious beings like Skeletor and Evil-Lyn.
A new feature-length take on the Masters of the Universe franchise has been in the works in Hollywood for years. With Galitzine, Leto, Brie, Elba, and others all signed on to star in it now, though, the film is looking more and more real with every passing day. If this iteration of Masters of the Universe does indeed come to fruition, it will be the second live-action take on the property to make it to the big screen.
The first was a 1987 film starring Dolph Lundgren as He-Man and Frank Langella as Skeletor, which bombed both critically and financially upon its release. One can only hope this new Masters of the Universe will be able to avoid its predecessor’s fate.
The project is set to be directed by Travis Knight, whose previous directorial efforts include 2016’s Kubo and the Two Strings and 2018’s Bumblebee. Both films earned positive reviews, and his work on Bumblebee means that Knight has experience navigating the same rare toy-to-movie pipeline that Masters of the Universe needs to traverse. Having already played Morbius and The Joker, Jared Leto is also no stranger to portraying over-the-top villains like Skeletor. Before he tries to conquer Eternia, though, Leto is next expected to be seen in 2025’s Tron: Ares.
Masters of the Universe hits theaters on June 5, 2026.
