Masters of the Universe Drops 18 Character Posters

Amazon MGM Studios released 18 character posters for Masters of the Universe, arriving June 5.
Nicholas Galitzine stars as He-Man, with Jared Leto as Skeletor — who the studio has kept largely under wraps during the press tour.
The full ensemble includes Camila Mendes, Idris Elba, Alison Brie, Kristen Wiig, and Morena Baccarin, among many others.
Director Travis Knight fought to keep Skeletor’s skull face intact, calling the character “the embodiment of toxic masculinity.”
Characters like Mekaneck, Ram-Man, and Fisto confirm the film is leaning into the animated series’ more outrageous corners.

With less than a month to go, Masters of the Universe is finally showing its hand — all 18 characters of it. Amazon MGM Studios dropped a full slate of character posters this week, and for fans who grew up with He-Man, Battle Cat, and the gloriously weird world of Eternia, these are a lot to take in.

The posters give us our best looks yet at the film’s sprawling cast, many of whom had only been glimpsed briefly in trailers and TV spots. Seeing the full character designs laid out like this makes one thing clear: director Travis Knight isn’t running from the source material. He’s sprinting toward it.

Nicholas Galitzine (Mary & George) leads the charge as Prince Adam/He-Man, joined by Camila Mendes (Riverdale) as Teela and Idris Elba as Duncan/Man-at-Arms. The story picks up after Adam has been separated from the magical Sword of Power for 15 years — exiled on Earth since childhood — before tracking it down and being pulled back to Eternia, only to find his home world crushed under Skeletor’s rule. To save his family and his planet, he has to become the most powerful man in the universe.

A Cast That Goes Way Deeper Than You’d Expect

The heroes side of the poster drop is impressive on its own: Morena Baccarin (Deadpool) as the Sorceress, James Purefoy (Rome) as King Randor, Charlotte Riley as Queen Marlena, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson (Game of Thrones) as Malcolm/Fisto, Jon Xue Zhang as Ram-Man, James Wilkinson as Mekaneck, and Kristen Wiig voicing Roboto. Battle Cat also gets a poster. Of course Battle Cat gets a poster.

Then there’s the villain lineup, which is genuinely stacked. Alison Brie (GLOW, Together) as Evil-Lyn. Kojo Attah (The Beekeeper) as Tri-Klops. Sam C. Wilson (House of the Dragon) as Trap Jaw. Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson — yes, The Mountain from Game of Thrones — as Goat Man. James Apps as Spikor. Beast Man rounding things out.

And then there’s Jared Leto as Skeletor, who the studio has been conspicuously keeping under wraps throughout the press tour. His poster is here, but don’t expect to see much of him in interviews anytime soon — Amazon MGM is clearly saving that reveal for the theaters.

How Skeletor Got His Skull Face Back

The fact that Skeletor looks like Skeletor in this film is apparently something that had to be fought for. Travis Knight revealed that early versions of the script depicted the villain as a man wearing a golden skull mask. Knight’s response was immediate.

“I said, ‘F**k that shit,’” the director stated. “Skeletor has a skull face. That’s just the way it is. It’s a living, talking, emoting skull, and that’s that.”

Knight described what drew him to the character beyond the aesthetics. “Skeletor was a really interesting villain. He looked cool. He was scary. He was funny. He was insecure. And then of course he had this distinctive voice.” As for casting Leto specifically, Knight said it was actually the actor who came to them. “Jared approached us, because he loves Skeletor and has his own history with the character. He wanted to swing for the fences.” Knight added that he’s happy with where they landed, describing Skeletor as “kind of the embodiment of toxic masculinity.”

The character designs across the board appear to honor what made the animated series so beloved while translating it into something that can live on a massive screen. Mekaneck is there. Ram-Man is there. These aren’t characters anyone realistically expected to see in a big-budget Hollywood production, and yet here they are, fully realized and poster-ready.

Masters of the Universe, directed by Travis Knight and written by Chris Butler, hits theaters on June 5.