Nicholas Galitzine has been putting in the work (and the hair dye) to play He-Man in the live-action Masters of the Universe
I’ll admit, I rolled my eyes when it was announced that Nicholas Galitzine (Red, White and Royal Blue) had been cast to play He-Man in the new live-action Masters of the Universe movie that’s supposed to be going into production very soon. I just didn’t see any potential for He-Man in this actor. But now, a behind-the-scenes image has dropped online to confirm that Galitzine has been putting in the work to become the character, as he is now buffed up and blonde. You can see the image in the X embed below.
Bumblebee director Travis Knight is at the helm of this new take on Masters of Universe, working from a screenplay by Chris Butler that’s based on earlier drafts by David Callaham and formerly attached directors Aaron and Adam Nee. The story follows ten-year-old Prince Adam who crashed to Earth in a spaceship and was separated from his magical Power Sword—the only link to his home on Eternia. After tracking it down almost two decades later, Prince Adam is whisked back across space to defend his home planet against the evil forces of Skeletor. But to defeat such a powerful villain, Prince Adam will first need to uncover the mysteries of his past and become He-Man: the most powerful man in the Universe.
Galitzine is joined in the cast by Camila Mendes (Riverdale) as Teela, Jared Leto (Morbius) as the villainous Skeletor, Idris Elba (Luther) as Man-at-Arms (a.k.a. Duncan), GLOW‘s Alison Brie as Skeletor’s right hand woman Evil-Lyn, Morena Baccarin (Deadpool & Wolverine) as The Sorceress, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson (Captain America: Brave New World) as Malcolm (a.k.a. Fisto), Sam C. Wilson (Dodger) as Trap Jaw, Hafthor Bjornsson (Game of Thrones) as Goat Man, Kojo Attah (The Beekeeper) as Tri-Klops, and James Purefoy (A Knight’s Tale) and Charlotte Riley (Peaky Blinders) as He-Man’s parents, King Randor and Queen Marlena.
The behind-the-scenes image shows Galitzine, sporting He-Man’s blonde hair, and Mendes, with red in her hair to play Teela, preparing for their roles alongside Hafthor Bjornsson… who, unfortunately, is not sporting his Goat Man horns.
In an interview with W magazine, Galitzine talked about getting into He-Man shape: “There’s been a lot of eating and weightlifting, a lot of stunts. I’m eating about 4,000 calories a day, but the amount of physical work I’m doing, you end up hungry at the end of the day, which is quite surprising. This is the fun part. I will eventually go into what’s called the cutting phase, where I’m going to be starved and so rude to everyone. I can only apologize for the person I’m going to become in a few months’ time.“
Set up at Amazon MGM Studios and Mattel Studios, Masters of the Universe is aiming for a theatrical release date of June 5, 2026.
Are you looking forward to seeing Nicholas Galitzine play He-Man in the new live-action Masters of the Universe movie? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.
