He-Man didn’t have a sword. Not at first. If you grew up in the eighties, you probably remember the 1987 film starring Dolph Lundgren as the most bizarre, leather-clad fever dream of a fantasy epic ever put to celluloid. It’s a weird movie. Honestly, it’s basically a Star Wars clone trapped inside a fish-out-of-water comedy, but the Masters of the Universe movie characters are what actually kept that production from sinking into total obscurity.
People love to dunk on this film. They talk about the budget cuts and how Eternia looks like a dimly lit warehouse in Whittier, California, because, well, it was. But look at the casting. Frank Langella’s Skeletor is genuinely one of the best villain performances in the history of fantasy cinema. He didn't just play a cartoon; he played a Shakespearean usurper with a bone face.
Why the Masters of the Universe Movie Characters Felt So Different
If you were expecting the bright, neon colors of the Filmation cartoon, the 1987 movie was a massive shock to the system. Director Gary Goddard wanted something grittier. He was heavily influenced by the legendary comic book artist Jack Kirby. You can see it in the character designs—all those intricate lines, the heavy metallic tech, and the cosmic-god vibes.
Take He-Man. In the cartoon, he’s a smiling guy in a harness. In the movie, Dolph Lundgren is a silent, hulking warrior who looks like he’s actually seen a few battles. He barely speaks. It’s a physical performance. Then you have the supporting cast. Instead of the usual suspects like Battle Cat or Orko—who were way too expensive to animate or build as puppets back then—we got Gwildor.
Gwildor was the replacement for Orko. Created by creature makeup legend Billy Bryan, Gwildor was a Thenurian locksmith. He’s the reason the plot even happens because he invented the Cosmic Key. It’s a bit of a controversial trade-off for fans, but Gwildor brought a tactile, Jim Henson-esque quality to the screen that a floating cartoon ghost never could have managed on that budget.
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The Villains Stole the Entire Show
Let's be real about the Masters of the Universe movie characters on the dark side. Skeletor is the anchor. Frank Langella famously took the role because his son loved He-Man, but he treated the dialogue like it was Macbeth. He refused to be a bumbling loser. When he says, "I am a part of the cosmos," you actually believe him. He’s terrifying.
Then there’s Evil-Lyn. Meg Foster’s performance is haunting. She has these naturally striking, pale blue eyes that made her look otherworldly without any special effects. She wasn't just a sidekick; she was the brains of the operation.
The mercenary squad was a total departure from the "Henchman of the Week" vibe of the show:
- Saurod: A reptilian lizard-man who could spit sparks. He met a quick end, but the suit was incredible.
- Blade: A human-ish swordsman who actually looked like he could win a fight.
- Beastman: Unlike the orange buffoon from the cartoon, Tony Carroll’s version was a feral, snarling animal.
- Karg: A weird, bird-like commander with a golden afro. He was a completely original creation for the film, meant to handle the logistics of Skeletor’s army.
These guys weren't just "monsters." They were a tactical unit. They used laser rifles. They rode "Air Centurions" (those flying discs). It turned the movie into a weird hybrid of "Sword and Sorcery" and "Sci-Fi Slasher."
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The Earth Connection and the "Teen" Problem
One of the biggest gripes fans have is the setting. Why spend half the movie in a suburban high school? It was a cost-saving measure, pure and simple. Production designer William Stout had to make the most of a shrinking budget. By bringing the Masters of the Universe movie characters to Earth, they could use real streets and gyms instead of building massive alien sets.
Courtney Cox—pre-Friends—played Julie Winston. It’s sort of funny looking back at it now. She and her boyfriend Kevin (Robert Duncan McNeill, who later went to Star Trek: Voyager) are the audience proxies. Does it work? Sorta. It definitely makes the stakes feel smaller, but it also gives us that classic scene where Teela tries ribs for the first time.
Teela, played by Chelsea Field, is actually one of the highlights. She’s tough. She’s a soldier. She doesn’t need He-Man to save her every five minutes. In many ways, the movie version of Teela is more progressive than the 1980s cartoon version. She’s a professional warrior stuck in New Jersey, and she handles it with more grace than most of us would.
The Lost Characters and What Could Have Been
There are so many rumors about who almost made it into the film. Trap Jaw and Tri-Klops were in early drafts of the script. Concept art exists for them, and honestly, they look amazing. They were cut because the prosthetics were either too complex or the budget just couldn't stretch another inch.
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We almost got a different He-Man, too. Before Dolph was cast, the studio looked at everyone from Sylvester Stallone to professional wrestlers. Imagine a 1987 He-Man played by Stallone. It would have been a completely different vibe—probably more Rambo with a power sword.
The 1987 film is essentially a "What If?" scenario. What if He-Man was a space opera? What if the stakes were life and death? The ending of the film—Skeletor falling into a pit only to pop back up and say "I'll be back"—is the ultimate 80s movie trope. It promised a sequel that never came, at least not in the way we expected. The props and sets from the cancelled sequel were eventually recycled into the Jean-Claude Van Damme movie Cyborg. That’s how tight the money was at Cannon Films.
Why the Movie Designs Still Influence the Franchise
You see the fingerprints of the 1987 film everywhere now. When Netflix released Masters of the Universe: Revelation or the CGI reboot, the designs leaned back into that "Cosmic Fantasy" aesthetic. The idea that Eternia isn't just a fantasy kingdom but a hub of ancient, incomprehensible technology started with the movie's vision.
The Cosmic Key itself became an icon. It’s one of the most sought-after prop replicas for collectors. It represents the bridge between the magic of the past and the technology of the future.
If you're looking to dive back into this world, don't just watch the movie. Look at the behind-the-scenes work of William Stout and Ralph McQuarrie (the man who designed Darth Vader). Their sketches for the Masters of the Universe movie characters show a depth that the final film, with its lighting issues, didn't always capture.
Actionable Steps for MOTU Fans:
- Watch the 1987 film with a "Kirby" lens: Instead of looking for the cartoon, look for the comic book influences. It makes the design choices feel much more intentional.
- Track down the "Power of Grayskull" documentary: It features deep-dive interviews with the cast and explains exactly why certain characters like Orko were cut.
- Compare the Mattel "Masterverse" figures: Recently, Mattel released figures specifically based on the 1987 movie designs. Seeing the details on the Saurod or Skeletor figures helps you appreciate the costume work that was often hidden in the dark cinematography.
- Check out the 2026 reboot rumors: With a new movie perpetually in development, understanding the failures and successes of the '87 cast is the best way to judge if the new one is on the right track.
The 1987 movie wasn't the disaster people claim it was. It was an ambitious, flawed, and visually stunning attempt to take a toy line and turn it into something operatic. The characters are the reason we're still talking about it nearly forty years later. They had weight. They had stakes. And in the case of Skeletor, they had some of the best lines ever spoken by a man in a skull mask.