While Nicholas Galitzine, star of the 2026 fantasy film Masters of the Universe, didn’t grow up playing with the classic Mattel He-Man toys or ​watching the 1983 animated series, he found his own way to connect with ‌the role.

“Well, I was born in ’94, so I just really missed out on the initial wave of He-Man,” the English actor told Reuters.

However, after learning what the franchise has meant to generations of ​fans — especially those who grew up in the 1980s — and falling in love ​with the script, Galitzine said he became increasingly inspired to take on ⁠the character.

“I think the love and desperation to play the character kind of grew,” ​he said.

He-Man originated in the early 1980s as a Mattel action figure, with the 2026 Masters ​of the Universe film emerging from a collaboration between Mattel Studios and Amazon MGM Studios.

In 2025, Mattel merged its film and television divisions to form Mattel Studios, marking a significant step toward building entertainment ​around its brands, following the commercial success of the 2023 film “Barbie.”

Mattel Films President Robbie Brenner, ​who also serves as president and chief content officer of the combined unit, produced Masters of the Universe, ‌while Bumblebee ⁠director Travis Knight helmed the project.

The film follows Prince Adam, played by Galitzine, as he returns to his home planet of Eternia to embrace his destiny as He-Man and defend it from the villain Skeletor, portrayed by Jared Leto.

The cast also includes Idris Elba ​as Duncan, a trusted ​general; Camila Mendes as ⁠Teela, Duncan’s adoptive daughter; Alison Brie as the villainous sorceress Evil-Lyn; and Sam C. Wilson as Kronis, a cybernetic weapons expert allied ​with Skeletor.

Elba said he relishes the chance to introduce the franchise ​he grew ⁠up with to a new generation, including co-stars like Mendes, who, like Galitzine, did not experience He-Man in its original era.

“I think good IP has that opportunity to reimagine good art,” ⁠Elba ​said.

“We’re still doing Shakespeare, and we’re still doing biblical ​stories,” he added, noting that revisiting well-known material allows storytellers to connect it with younger audiences.

’Television taught me what to value, what is important, what I should aspire to.

Masters of the Universe ​arrives in theatres on Friday.