Original He-Man actor Dolph Lundgren confirmed his appearance in the upcoming live-action film Masters of the Universe during the movie's world premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre on May 18, 2026.
The film is scheduled for theatrical release on June 5, 2026.
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The Amazon MGM Studios production stars Nicholas Galitzine as the new Prince Adam and He-Man, directed by Travis Knight.
The story follows Prince Adam's return to the planet Eternia to fight the evil wizard Skeletor, played by Jared Leto.
Lundgren, who originally played the titular superhero 39 years ago in the 1987 live-action adaptation, attended the Hollywood premiere event alongside Galitzine.
He expressed excitement about the franchise's enduring legacy during media interviews.
"Passing the sword over," said Lundgren, adding that it was a "great feeling for me."
The 68-year-old actor noted that his role involves playing an Earth-bound character who provides guidance to the new lead hero.
"It's great that he's such a great He-Man, and I think it's a great production, and I was really honoured to be part of it.
It was fun for me to show up in a movie and give him some advice when he needs it the most," said Lundgren.
Lundgren added that the property, which originated as a Mattel toy line and a 1983 animated series, still holds a strong cultural connection with audiences.
"There's still something special about this franchise," he said.
The actor elaborated on the lasting appeal of the original character designs and concepts created in the 1980s.
"There's something about what they created back in 1983, I think it was, the series came out, the little cartoon came out and the toys, and there's something about it that people respond to," said Lundgren.
Galitzine, who plays the dual role of Adam Glenn and He-Man, admitted that stepping into the iconic costume brought initial feelings of self-doubt.
"To be candid, when I first tried on the costume, you know, when I hadn't fully made my transformation, I felt like a complete fraud.
You know, I felt undeserving. I felt like, 'How am I gonna get to this point?'"
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said Galitzine to Extra.
The 31-year-old actor explained that he had to undergo an intense physical regimen over a short period to prepare for the role.
"I come from a sporting background… I've been in gyms, but I think to transform my body from a state which was definitely not ready to play He-Man to adorn this mini skirt and chest plate is obviously incredibly trepidatious… It was five months… not enough time really to do it in a comfortable way," said Galitzine.
Galitzine noted that the rigorous physical conditioning continued even after principal photography had commenced.
"We even had to start shooting while I was cutting, which was a challenge in and of itself, you know, because you're acting in a scene and the first AD goes, 'Oh, we got 10 minutes.
We're going to change the setup.' And you run outside to the assault bike, and you're just pedalling away," said Galitzine.
The actor stated that the confirmation of his hard work arrived when he finally walked onto the production set in full costume.
"It wasn't really until that first day as He-Man on set when I put the costume on, I had the tan, I had the hair, and I went to set," said Galitzine.
Galitzine recalled how the positive feedback from the creative team reassured him that his preparation was successful.
"You know, you're trying to like catch people's eyes to see their reaction to you, and so the feeling was very good, and Travis and Jason and Todd, our producers, you know, they saw me.
And, you know, for our producers, they've been with this IP for 18 years, and so, it was really in seeing their reaction to me that I was like, 'Okay, you can calm down now.
The last five months haven't been in vain,'" said Galitzine.
The ensemble cast also features Camila Mendes as Teela, Idris Elba as Duncan/Man-At-Arms, Kristen Wiig as Roboto, Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn, Morena Baccarin as The Sorceress, James Purefoy as King Randor, Sam C.
Wilson as Trap Jaw, Kojo Attah as Tri-Klops, and Hafthor Bjornsson as Goat Man.
The script was penned by Chris Butler, Aaron Nee, Adam Nee, and Dave Callaham, with Ynon Kreiz, Bill Bannerman, and David Bloomfield serving as executive producers.
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From June 3, UK theater chain Cineworld will also screen the movie in immersive 4DX and ScreenX premium formats.
