Jared Leto stepped out of the shadows tonight into his latest role as the dastardly antagonist Skeletor in a featurette for the live-action version of Masters of the Universe. The sneak peek was part of Amazon MGM Studios’ presentation at CinemaCon; Collider’s Britta DeVore was in attendance. The live-action adaptation of the legendary toy, cartoon, and comic book franchise is set to hit theaters on June 5, 2026.
Leto appeared in an all-black costume on his way to set in a behind-the-scenes featurette that showed off the making of the highly-anticipated Amazon MGM film. Along with Leto, CinemaCon audiences also caught first looks at Nicholas Galitzine’s He-Man, Camila Mendes’ Teela, Idris Elba’s Man-At-Arms, Alison Brie’s Evil-Lyn, and more. The featurette spotlighted the outrageous techno-barbarian costume designs of the film, as well as the training the cast are doing to get into Eternian shape. Unfortunately, the featurette is not being publicly released at this time, so you’ll have to wait until Masters of the Universe‘s release date gets nearer to feast your eyes on its cast of characters.
What Is ‘Masters of the Universe’?
Created by the toy company Mattel in the 1980s to capitalize on the popularity of Conan the Barbarian, Masters of the Universe takes place on the far-off planet Eternia, where sorcery mixes with advanced technology. The planet’s mystical power is concentrated in Castle Grayskull, the stronghold of the planet’s ruling royal family; its primary defender is the mighty barbarian warrior He-Man. Unbeknownst to all but a select few, He-Man is secretly the mild-mannered Prince Adam, heir to the Eternian throne. The power of Grayskull is coveted by every evildoer on the planet; that includes Hordak and his Evil Horde and King Hiss and his sinister Snake Men, but He-Man’s greatest foe is the skull-faced sorceror Skeletor, who in some incarnations of the franchise is his long-lost uncle, Keldor. The franchise had its glory days in the 1980s, when it spawned innumerable action figures, a long-running cartoon, a series of comic books, and, in 1987, a live-action feature film. While it eventually petered out, it’s never stayed dormant for long, and lives on to this day.
In addition to Leto, Galitzine, Mendes, Elba, and Brie, Masters of the Universe also stars James Purefoy (Rome) and Charlotte Riley (The Peripheral) as Prince Adam’s parents, King Randor and Queen Marlena; Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson (Atomic Blonde) and Jon Xue Zhang (The Brothers Sun) as the heroic warriors Fisto and Ram-Man; and Sam C. Wilson (House of the Dragon), Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson (Game of Thrones), and Kojo Attah (The Beekeeper) as the nefarious Trap-Jaw, Goat Man, and Tri-Klops. The film is directed by Bumblebee‘s Travis Knight.
Masters of the Universe will be released in theaters on June 5, 2026. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.
- Release Date
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June 6, 2026
- Director
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Travis Knight
- Writers
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Chris Butler, Aaron Nee, Adam Nee, Dave Callaham
- Producers
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Alan Collis, David S. Goyer, Jason Blumenthal, Julia Pistor, Robbie Brenner, Steve Tisch, Todd Black, DeVon Franklin, David Voss
- Franchise(s)
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Masters of the Universe
