Netflix has released the debut trailer of Kevin Smith’s new show, and by the power of Greyskull, it’s a real trip.
Filmation’s original He-Man and Masters of the Universe first launched in September 1983, just in time to introduce an entire generation of kids to Mattel’s new holiday season toy catalogue (and an entire generation of moms to the next big occult conspiracy moral panic). The show was subsequently cancelled in 1985 at 130 episodes, with Eternia’s drama unresolved, except maybe in some fanfic that I know exists because those are the rules, and also because He-Man and Skeletor are totally into each other.
Unlike She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, Netflix’s other Masters of the Universe show, however, Masters of the Universe: Revelation isn’t a reboot, it’s a sequel.
“In Revelation, we pick up right where the classic era left off to tell an epic tale of what may be the final battle between He-Man and Skeletor,” writer and director Smith explained in 2019, when the show was announced. “Brought to life with the most metal character designs Powerhouse Animation can contain in the frame, this is the Masters of the Universe story you always wanted to see as a kid!”
The cast includes Chris Wood as He-Man, Mark Hamill as Skeletor, Sarah Michelle Gellar as Teela, Lena Headey as Evil-Lyn, and Liam Cunningham as Man-At-Arms.
Masters of the Universe: Revelation is out on Netflix on 23 July.