‘Masters of the Universe: Revelation’ Retrospective
Image Source: IGN
Three years ago, one animated series kicked off the He-Man & The Masters of the Universe renaissance, delivering an unexpected, yet still thrilling take on the classic 80s cartoon, building upon what’s been established to tell a bold story unlike anything the franchise has told in animation. This series is none other than the Netflix series “Masters of the Universe: Revelation.”
A Brief History
Image Source: IGN
The original Masters of the Universe toy line, created by Mattel, made its debut in 1981, and would be followed by an animated series in 1983, produced by Filmation. The series, while mostly episodic, would explore the characters and their backgrounds and dynamics more in-depth, while establishing key details such as the warrior Teela secretly being the daughter of The Sorceress of Castle Grayskull, the woman who guides He-Man, who is secretly Prince Adam. This would be one of the pillars upon which Revelation would be built.
He-Man & The Masters of the Universe would run until 1985, and received a spinoff in She-Ra: Princess of Power. The franchise would later receive a live-action film and two more animated shows in 1990 and 2002 before disappearing for a while. The 2018 animated series “She-Ra & The Princesses of Power” would spark new interest in the franchise and open the door for new MOTU shows and movies.
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The Team
Image source: Fox Business
Masters of the Universe: Revelation was first announced by Netflix at Powercon 2019, where it was also revealed that filmmaker and lifelong sci-fi fan Kevin Smith would be serving as the series’ showrunner, with Smith seeking to make Revelation a spiritual sequel to the original 80s cartoon, taking the battle between He-Man and Skeletor to new heights while tying up any lingering story threads from the original series. Joining Smith in the writer’s room would be Eric Carrasco, Tim Sheridan, Diya Mishra, and Marc Bernardin. Castlevania animators Adam Conarroe and Patrick Stannard serve as directors, with Powerhouse Animation animating the series, giving He-Man and the Masters of the Universe an anime-inspired makeover. Additionally, it was later revealed that Bear McCreary of ‘Godzilla: King of the Monsters’ would compose the score for the series.
The Story
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In the fantasy world of Eternia, He-Man (Chris Wood) and Skeletor (Mark Hamill) have been entrenched in a battle for control of Castle Grayskull, and the secrets hidden deep inside of the fortress. The series opens with the typical status quo of the classic series, until a twist of events that leads not only to the gradual erasure of magic on Eternia, but the sudden demise of both He-Man and Skeletor, and this is where the real story begins.
With He-Man gone, and the revelation that his true identity was that of Prince Adam, the story now focuses on Teela (Sarah Michelle Gellar), Adam’s closest friend, as she reluctantly assembles a band of ragtag heroes and villains alike in a quest to save the dying magic of Eternia and bring back her friend. Without He-Man and Skeletor in the picture, Teela proves to be a pretty distinct protagonist, as someone distrusting of magic and burned by these truths kept from her for her entire life but has a magical destiny of her own as the new Sorceress. She’s also joined by Evil-Lyn (Lena Headey), Skeletor’s right hand, who finds herself walking the line between staying a villain as she was or becoming a hero. The series sees her facing not only heroes and villains alike, but her own worst impulses, making her a true wild card that disrupts the status quo even more.
Even after He-Man and Skeletor return to the narrative, the series continues to twist on their dynamic by throwing the story we’ve become so used to out the window to complete the arcs hinted at and left behind by the original series, while planting the seeds for new arcs.
The Impact
Image Source: Netflix
Masters of the Universe: Revelation released its first half in July 2021, and while it was praised for its animation and score, many fans took issue with the apparent bait-and-switch with the story, when He-Man and Skeletor perish at the end of the first episode, leading the story into a new direction with Teela as our protagonist despite promises that He-Man would be at the center of this new story. Thankfully, many of these concerns would be rectified with its second half, which was released in November 2021, as He-Man and Skeletor returned, and it didn’t stop the series from continuing to twist its narrative unpredictably.
With the 2018 She-Ra reboot renewing interest in Masters of the Universe, Revelation would only add to that fire, with the series not only being a love letter to fans of the classic cartoon but also drawing in a younger audience, including some fans of She-Ra interested in seeing what the wider MOTU franchise has to offer.
Between the release of Revelation’s two courses, Netflix would also release “He-Man & The Masters of the Universe,” a CGI series aimed toward younger kids. This series would run for three seasons before being canceled; the series didn’t seem to gain a large following either despite being well-received by critics.
In January 2024, Netflix would release a sequel to Revelation, titled “Masters of the Universe: Revolution,” which would be praised by both critics and fans alike for its heartfelt story and clever character writing.
Finally, after years in development hell, a He-Man movie is in the works at Mattel and Amazon MGM Studios, with Travis Knight directing, and Nicholas Galitzine set to star as Prince Adam. The film is set to release in 2026.
What’s Next
While Masters of the Universe: Revolution tied up this story in a neat bow, a post-credit scene would introduce Despara, the villainous alter ego of Princess Adora, the woman who usually becomes She-Ra. While fans suspect there could be plans for a continuation, nothing has been announced or confirmed at this time.
Regardless, Masters of the Universe: Revelation, even with its missteps, was a love letter to classic fans that did something different with the franchise and its characters and introduced a new generation of fans to MOTU, and hopefully, new projects come from the franchise that are willing to tell bold stories with these iconic characters and won’t be afraid to try new things.
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