Masters Of The Universe Taking A Page From This $1 Billion Blockbuster Is A Great Sign

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Jared Leto as Skeletor in He Man Masters of the Universe

Published Jan 23, 2026, 7:30 PM EST

Nicholas Raymond is an author and journalist based out of Alabama, where he proudly roots for the Alabama Crimson Tide football team. A graduate of the University of Montevallo, he has a degree in mass communication with a concentration in journalism.

Masters of the Universe appears to be taking a page from the playbook of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which was a massive hit for Paramount that brought in more than $1 billion at the worldwide box office. Naturally, there are all sorts of lessons to be learned from the record-breaking success of Mario and Luigi's movie.

Among the films that can benefit from following a similar approach as The Super Mario Bros. Movie is the live-action Masters of the Universe reboot, which will bring He-Man and Skeletor to the big screen for only the second time in cinematic history. The first attempt was an abject failure, and while this version could bomb as well, the first Masters of the Universe trailer is a positive indicator for its future.

Masters Of The Universe Promises To Have A Ton Of Easter Eggs

He-Man holds his sword in Masters of the uNiverse movie

A foundational part of The Super Mario Bros. Movie was its clear commitment to Easter eggs. The entire film was littered with references and tributes to a slew of Super Mario games, ranging from the classics of the NES era to modern favorites like Super Mario Odyssey. Some were obvious, while others were much more subtle.

There's only been one Masters of the Universe trailer, and yet it's already been made apparent that it too will lean on the same formula. Multiple Easter eggs were spotted in the trailer alone, one of which being the statue holding He-Man's Power Sword. At first glance, it looks similar to He-Man, but on closer inspection, it can be identified as Mark Taylor's original He-Man design, then known as "Torak."

This offers just a preview of what the approach is that Masters of the Universe is taking to the lore. Much like The Super Mario Bros. Movie and some of the other movies that have since followed suit, the film will likely lean heavily on nostalgia by throwing out all manner of deep-cut Easter eggs, just like the trailer does with the statue.

Despite A Considerable Change, Masters Of The Universe Looks Extremely Lore Accurate

Masters of the Universes Heroic Warriors group stand with He Man on the back of a ship in MOTU movie

Although there is indeed an emphasis on nostalgia in the trailer, it's difficult to overlook a glaring change to the traditional He-Man story. Not unlike the 1987 live-action adaptation (which turned out to be a huge failure), Masters of the Universe is combining a real-world setting with its fantasy universe.

This decision has naturally drawn backlash from the fanbase, but it could ultimately work out well in the long run. Sonic the Hedgehog and The Super Mario Bros. Movie used similar tactics, and neither mattered enough to harm their box office potential or critical reception.

That can be true for Masters of the Universe as well, as long as it maintains an accurate depiction of Eternia and its characters and avoids too much focus on the people of Earth and modern-day concepts. Based on the designs of Skeletor, Battlecat, and He-Man himself, there's a good chance Masters of the Universe won't disappoint in this regard.