It may have taken a couple of years to get off the ground, but the live-action Masters of the Universe is finally moving forward, and it already has three principal cast members in the form of Nicholas Galitzine (He-Man), Camila Mendes (Teela), and Alison Brie (Evil-Lyn). Now word is going around that they’ve found someone to play one of the all-time pop-culture villains, Skeletor.
According to The InSneider (via @HollywoodHandle), Jared Leto (Morbius, Suicide Squad) has been offered the part of Skeletor, He-Man’s nemesis. No details have been revealed about the role, but with a franchise like He-Man, you can usually just expect Skeletor to be evil, have a lair full of henchmen, and have grandiose plans in taking over Eternia.
It’s worth noting that Travis Knight is at the helm of this movie, and he had brought another 80s franchise to the big screen with Bumblebee. Admittedly, that movie didn’t have the best story, but it still managed to reboot the Transformers timeline, and it established a new look for the Robots in Disguise.
When it comes to Masters of the Universe though, a live-action adaptation could be tricky. After all, most of its fans are adults in their 40s, and that comes with the price of having an over-critical fanbase whenever something is changed for an adaptation. Just look at what happened to Netflix’s animated revival of MOTU from Kevin Smith.
If anything, the movie should focus on being a jumping off point for kids in the franchise. After the success of Barbie, maybe He-Man could be Mattel’s next moneymaking movie. I know I’m just excited to see what kinds of toys are going to be released alongside the film.
The Masters of the Universe movie is expected to hit cinemas on June 5, 2026.
