Jared Leto will be terrorizing the Masters of the Universe as the villain Skeletor in the upcoming live action movie adaptation.
The Hollywood Reporter says Leto has joined the cast of the upcoming Masters of the Universe movie as the villain Skeletor, opposite Nicholas Galitzine who was cast as He-Man. Rounding out Skeletor’s evil crew are Sam C. Wilson as Trap Jaw, Hafthor Bjornsson as Goat Man, Kojo Attah as Tri-Klops, and the previously cast Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn. Idris Elba has been cast as Man-at-Arms while Camila Mendes will play Teela.
Skeletor is the main villain in the Masters of the Universe, and is a skull-faced wizard who wishes to take over the planet of Eternia. He is known for his distinctive voice, which I’m very interested to hear Jared Leto’s take on.
Based on the popular line of Mattel toys, this particular live action adaptation of He-Man has been in development hell for years before finally gaining traction. Bumblebee director Travis Knight has been announced as the director, and will be working from a script written by fellow Laika creative Chris Butler who directed the animated film ParaNorman.
This will be the second live action He-Man movie following a Masters of the Universe film released in 1987 starring Dolph Lundgren as He-Man, and Frank Langella as Skeletor.
He-Man is having a kind of renaissaince as of late. A new He-Man animated series is currently on Netflix titled Masters of the Universe: Revelation featuring the voice talents of Mark Hamill as Skeletor. A third season titled Masters of the Universe: Revolution is set to premiere in 2024. Our review says the animated series “uses the original He-Man sandbox to truly go wild and explore these characters in ways that allow them to break tired molds and dissolve old conventions.”
What are your thoughts on Leto taking on the role of Skeletor? Let us know in the comments below.
Matt Kim is IGN’s Senior Features Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.
