The live-action version of Masters of the Universe locked Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man in May after being stuck in development hell for years. The film adaptation found a home at Amazon MGM Studios after both Sony and Netflix passed over the film. The latest update from the film has confirmed Riverdale fame Camila Mendes in the role of Teela, the Captain of the Royal Guard.
Fans are not happy with the casting in the series as both actors have no major action projects nor do they have a massive box office appeal. The film brought in Travis Knight of Kubo and the Two Strings fame as the director. The script is being written by Chris Butler.
Fans Are Not Happy With Nicholas Galitzine and Camila Mendes As The Leads In Masters of the Universe
Mattel’s toy brand He-Man is returning to yet another live-action film after Dolph Lundgren‘s Masters of the Universe. In May, Nicholas Galitzine was confirmed to play the role of He-Man in the film, which was in development hell for years. Galitzine’s recent fame comes from starring opposite Anne Hathaway in The Idea of You.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the role of Teela went to Camila Mendes. The actress is known for her role as Veronica in the CW series, Riverdale. She went on to act in several modest-budget films after her fame in the teen series. However, it is worrying that both Galitzine and Mendes have no blockbuster films to their names.
Reports also mentioned that Mendes screen-tested for the role two weeks ago along with Clara Rugaard, Alexandra Shipp, and Quintessa Swindell. Fans took to X to express their concerns regarding the casting of the film. They were not impressed with Nicholas Galitzine‘s casting to begin with as they shared that he did not have the physique to carry the role.
Mendes seems to have a bad rap after the disastrous later seasons of Riverdale. Fans also expressed doubts about Mendes’ capability to pull off such an action-packed role in the film. Some of the fan reactions read:
the cast just gets worse and worse 😭
— harv (@harvv) August 15, 2024
I literally don’t know how to feel about this 😭
— 4KT WHO YOU HATE (@royal_bobby24) August 15, 2024
i don’t like nicholas as he-man either, doesn’t make me an incel LMAO
— harv (@harvv) August 15, 2024
Maya Hawke would have been perfect
— sugarshaz👻 (@sugarshaz19) August 15, 2024
Nicholas Galtizine needs to gain 20 lbs to look remotely close to He-Man
— Rolo1995 (@RVal1995) August 16, 2024
Zac Efron is the only correct choice pic.twitter.com/CbplOZCL3C
Despite the skepticism from fans, Galitzine and Mendes are given one of the biggest opportunities to make their way into the Hollywood A-list. However, the dooming of the film could also reflect on their respective careers.
Amazon Announces 2026 Release Date For Masters of the Universe
Kevin Smith’s Masters of the Universe animated series made fans fall in love with He-Man all over again. However, Mattel’s most powerful man in the Universe struggled to find a studio for its live-action version before it ended up with Amazon MGM.
The film’s story follows Prince Adam and his fight against the evil forces of Skeletor. The official synopsis of the film read (via The Hollywood Reporter):
10-year-old Prince Adam who crashed to Earth in a spaceship and was separated from his magical Power Sword—the only link to his home on Eternia. After tracking it down almost two decades later, Prince Adam is whisked back across space to defend his home planet against the evil forces of Skeletor. But to defeat such a powerful villain, Prince Adam will first need to uncover the mysteries of his past and become He-Man: the most powerful man in the Universe!
Amazon MGM has announced that the film will get a worldwide release on June 5, 2026. The date is pretty competitive since the other major releases in June 2026 are Toy Story 5 and an unnamed Universal film from the Oscar-winning duo Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert.
