460. Masters of the Universe (2026) REVIEW (SPOILERS)

WARNING: Do not listen to this episode unless you have seen the 2026 release “Masters of the Universe” or do not mind hearing key plot points.

Masters of the Universe is a brand-new live-action retelling of the nostalgic story of He-Man, based on the Mattel toy line. It was a 1980s Filmation cartoon, a 1987 Dolph Lungren live-action movie, a 2002 reboot, and eventually a new series on Netflix directed by Kevin Smith. The film is directed by Travis Knight and stars Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Adam / He-Man, as well as Camila Mendes, Jared Leto, Alison Brie, James Purefoy, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Charlotte Riley, Kristen Wiig, Morena Baccarin, and Idris Elba.
The story is not an exact retelling of the classic story. At one point, Adam is sent to Earth, where he loses his power sword. He recovers it and has to face Skeletor.

Raymond Padilla rejoins the podcast to review this film. Ray runs rpad.tv and is a content creator. In this episode, they talk about the incredible character depictions and how realistic and true to the lore the characters are. They discuss the portion of the film on Earth and its reliance on humor. Also, certain plot choices and post-credits scenes offer good talking points.