A new live-actionMasters of the Universemovie is in the works, and it should be able to easily improve on Dolph Lundgren’s original live-action movie in one key way. While the prospect of a live-actionMasters of the Universemovie is exciting, it isn’t unique, as one was already made and released in 1987. While the film was critically panned, it does have some redeeming qualities. However,the 2026Masters of the Universefilm should be able to easily outdo even the 1987 film’s best qualities, creating the ultimate He-Man movie.
Kubo and the Two StringsandBumblebeedirector Travis Knight is bringing the world of He-Man to live once again, with him directing the2026 live-actionMasters of the Universemovie. The film, which is set to be released by Amazon MGM Studios on August 13, 2025, will starNicholas Galitzine as He-Manand Camila Mendes as Teela, with the villainous Skeletor being played by Jared Leto. The talented cast and crew ofMasters of the Universesets the film up to be much better than its predecessor, something that many fans are hopeful for.
Despite receiving incredibly negative reviews,the 1987Masters of the Universefilmexcelled at one thing: VFX. The film has surprisingly intricate effects, with a particular highlight being the costume and makeup design. The movie manages to accurately bring tons of characters from the animated series to life, with the weird and wacky creatures fromMasters of the Universeeach having complicated adaptations. The film had a $22 million budget, much of which went to bringing the world ofMasters of the Universeto life.
Unfortunately, a lot of the film’s VFX don’t hold up. Compared to modern practical and digital effects,1987’sMasters of the Universelooks pretty fake, creating a campy vibe that causes some viewers to enjoy the film ironically. The visuals ofMasters of the Universeundoubtedly have a lot of artistry behind them, but the wacky character design makes it difficult for the complicated effects to still look good nearly 40 years later.
2026’s Masters Of The Universe Movie Will Have Vastly Improved Visual Effects
Thanks To Four Decades Of Improvements
Luckily,2026’sMasters of the Universehas the benefitof utilizing 40 years of VFX improvements. Visual effects have only gotten better since 1987’sMasters of the Universewas filmed, meaning that the upcoming reboot will undoubtedly look a lot better. Although visual effects are seen less often than CGI, they have still gotten better, meaning thatMasters of the Universecould go down this path. The reported $200 million budget for the reboot will also help with this, allowing even more intricate character designs to be brought to life.
Even ifMasters of the Universedoesn’t rely on practical effects, it has the benefit of using CGI.The original film was made during the early days of computer effects, meaning that the vast majority of the 1987 adaptation relied on practical effects. While practical effects can look better than CGI, this isn’t the case in the 1987Masters of the Universe. The 2026 film could create computer effects that look far better than what was seen in the 1987 original, making the world of Eternia look even more real.
Masters Of The Universe’s New Movie Needs To Avoid A VFX Problem The Original Avoided
It Didn’t Have To Rely On CGI
Although2026’sMasters of the Universewill probably use CGI, it needs to avoid it as much as possible. The charm of the original 1987 film is the movie’s usage of practical effects, as it is always fun to see actors wearing real silly costumes and interacting with goofy props. 2026’sMasters of the Universecan adapt the campy vibe of the original animated series by relying on practical effects, while also paying its respects to its predecessor. However, it will be impossible to know how the films' effects look untilMasters of the Universeis released in 2026.
