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By the Power of Grayskull!!! He-Man and the gang have landed on Earth following the world premiere of Masters of the Universe at the TCL Chinese Theater in Los Angeles on Monday evening.
While official critics’ reviews for Travis Knight‘s live-action adaptation of the Mattel media and toys franchise are embargoed till much closer to Masters‘ release date of June 5, Amazon MGM Studios allowed premiere attendees to release brief social media reaction after the screening.
Masters tells the story of Prince Adam of Eternia who as a child crash lands on Earth and is separated from his Sword of Power. Adam is raised on Earth as the pretty average Adam Glenn but his life changes when he is reunited with his sword. He returns to save his ruined homeland, and faces off against the evil Skeletor.
In-demand British actor Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Adam/Adam Glenn/He-Man, with Jared Leto playing Skeletor. The all-star cast also features Idris Elba as Man-at-Arms and Camila Mendes as Teela, Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn, Morena Baccarin as Sorceress and Kristen Wiig as Roboto.
The cast also includes Eire Farrell (young Teela), James Purefoy (King Randor), Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson (Malcolm / Fisto), Charlotte Riley (Queen Marlena Glenn), Sasheer Zamata (Suzie), James Wilkinson (Mekaneck), Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson (Goat Man), Kojo Attah (Tri-Klops), and Jon Xue Zhang (Ram-Man).
Masters first appeared as IP when Mattel released a toy line in 1982. The following year, the classic Filmation animated series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe debuted. A live-action Masters of the Universe film starring Dolph Lundgren as Adam/He-Man hit theaters in 1987 but bombed at the box office. Various Hollywood studios have attempted to reboot the property as a feature film with little success until Amazon acquired the rights in 2024.
See a selection of the social media reaction to Masters of the Universe below.
#MastersOfTheUniverse director Travis Knight has a genuine reverence for all the incarnations of the He-Man character the MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE action figures, animated & cinematic iterations. Easter Eggs are incorporated with craft & care. I got a little misty at 1 point.
— Courtney Howard (@Lulamaybelle) May 19, 2026
Nicholas Galitzine looks the part in #MastersOfTheUniverse (and how!) but it’s his comedic timing that steals the show. Knowingly cartoonish, packed with 80s vibes (the soundtrack!), and Jared Leto camps it up vocally as Skeletor. Slightly risqué, but mostly family-friendly fun. pic.twitter.com/EoRlS4l2dl
— Peter Gray (@ratedPDG) May 19, 2026
MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE is a hell of a lot of fun. Nicholas Galitzine brings a sweetness to Adam Glenn that makes his take on He-Man memorable and also a fascinating take on masculinity. Fun, fun, fun and features The Man by The Killers so I was IN! pic.twitter.com/6misEcxupu
— Rachel Leishman (@RachelLeishman) May 19, 2026
Masters of the Universe revives Saturday morning cartoon magic with massive action, silly laughs, and real heart! Eternia looks like Rudy Obrero’s box art brought to life in full technicolor glory. And yes, MOTU is absolutely all about them muscles 💪@mastersmovie @BigGoldBelt pic.twitter.com/JLGYGhoVEt
— K.E.V.I.N. Fenix (@FenixDKevin) May 19, 2026
TRULY EPIC!#MastersOfTheUniverse captures the magic of classic 80s cartoons with modern visuals, crowd pleasing action, and adrenaline fueled battles that will give you chills. A nostalgic fantasy adventure that reminds adults what made Saturday morning cartoons feel legendary pic.twitter.com/E40jgUE5Cr
— Big Gold Belt Media (@BigGoldBelt) May 19, 2026
I LOVED #MastersoftheUniverse! Both a love-letter to all things He-Man and a beautiful, bombastic fantasy/sci-fi crowd pleaser that wears its heart on its sleeve. It’s insane this movie exists but I’m so happy it does. I had the biggest smile on my face the whole way through. pic.twitter.com/ZeHwvhBtAk
— Chris Killian (@chriskillian) May 19, 2026
If you missed the hopeful, bright, and upbeat joy that the 1980s once possessed, you have the power to find it again by watching #MastersoftheUniverse. A film bursting with so much life and fun you truly won’t want it to end… but boy oh boy when it does end 👀
— Maggie Lovitt (@maggieofthetown) May 19, 2026
#MastersoftheUniverse has a very fun, weird, yet enjoyable last 20 minutes or so. As for the rest of the movie? It’s a mess. Serious played for laughs, laughs played for emotion, it works, it doesn’t, it really tries but ends up being too awkward. Great end credits scenes though. pic.twitter.com/IINjM5uS84
— Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) May 19, 2026
I HAVE THE POWER to tell you that #MastersOfTheUniverse is what happens when you watch the cartoon, grab your action figures, & make your own adventure. An absolute blast, laugh out loud funny, and a Fisto-powered punch of heart. I loved it. Everything you could want. pic.twitter.com/jxQWVvknwx
— BJ Colangelo (@bjcolangelo) May 19, 2026
Masters of the Universe is everything this ’80s kid wanted and more. It’s gloriously campy, wildly entertaining, and nonstop fun from beginning to end. Travis Knight completely understood the assignment and delivered exactly what fans of this franchise have been waiting for.… pic.twitter.com/QrbYzSO1oO
— Scott Menzel (@ScottDMenzel) May 19, 2026
The best thing about Masters of the Universe is that it fully embraces its roots as an over-the-top 80s cartoon come to life.
The film never takes itself too seriously, leans completely into the cheese factor, and proudly wears its heart on its sleeve. Instead of trying to turn… pic.twitter.com/L2V2TUCkgr
— Scott Menzel (@ScottDMenzel) May 19, 2026
I kinda really wasn’t vibing with this for a bit, but once it finally finds its footing, it’s undeniably fun and unapologetically proud of its fantastical camp. Skeletor already in contention for one of the most memorable villains of the year 😭 https://t.co/EougT0IgKE
— Andrew J. Salazar (@AndrewJ626) May 19, 2026
MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE is like a sister film to the first Thor. Struggles to find its footing in the first half, but once it locks on its themes of fragile masculinity and ego, it makes way for an incredibly fun time that’s also visually stimulating. Nicholas Galitzine is great! pic.twitter.com/w0sprjgNZw
— Andrew J. Salazar (@AndrewJ626) May 19, 2026
#MastersOfTheUniverse has THE POWER! It genuinely feels like a Saturday morning cartoon come to life on the big screen. It’s colourful, vibrant, action-packed, and leans very hard into its cartoonish nature.
It feels made for those who grew up with the characters in the 80s and… pic.twitter.com/txbyoiEzRC
— Nick L’Barrow – Interviews and Reviews (@nicksflicksfix) May 19, 2026
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