He-Man Reboot Grapples with Balancing Fantasy and Reality
The upcoming Masters of the Universe film, directed by Travis Knight and starring Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man, has sparked debate over whether it is taking itself too seriously. The first trailer reveals Prince Adam exiled to Earth, working in a mundane office while dreaming of returning to Eternia, a premise that echoes the controversial 1987 adaptation starring Dolph Lundgren.
The Perils of Grounding Fantasy in Reality
In science fiction and fantasy, setting action in our solar system often proves disastrous. The 1987 film sent Lundgren to Los Angeles, diluting the epic fantasy with shopping malls and car parks. This misstep highlighted a core issue: He-Man's original appeal lay in its abstract, psychedelic nature. The early-80s cartoon featured surreal underworlds, warped gravity, and nightmare dreamworlds, making Eternia feel like a collective hallucination rather than a tangible place.
Knight's reboot seems aware of this fragility, packing the trailer with familiar elements. Idris Elba as Man-At-Arms, Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn, and Morena Baccarin as the Sorceress aim to reassure fans. However, the focus on Earth-bound exile risks repeating past mistakes by grounding a property that thrives on mythic abstraction.
Learning from Recent Missteps
Kevin Smith's 2021 series, Masters of the Universe: Revelation, faced criticism for sidelining He-Man in favour of sidekick Teela and adding emotional depth that clashed with the original's blunt, neon-coloured certainty. This serves as a cautionary tale: He-Man works best when embracing its over-the-top origins—enormous muscles, clear morals, and villains who cackle—without apologising for its simplicity.
The new film's attempt to add flesh and emotional shading to a franchise whose iconic villain is literally made of bones may not be a natural fit. As history shows, explaining or rounding out He-Man's world often reveals there is little substance beneath the surface, risking the loss of its archetypal power.
The Challenge of Modernising a Classic
Travis Knight, known for Kubo and the Two Strings, brings intriguing vision, but the trailer's earnest tone suggests a struggle to balance reverence with innovation. By insisting on the importance of lore and signifiers, the film might overcompensate, missing the point of He-Man's gloriously overblown essence. Ultimately, the reboot must decide whether to lean into the psychedelic chaos that defined the original or risk collapsing under the weight of its own seriousness.
