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“Masters of the Universe” director Travis Knight described Skeletor, the classic cartoon villain and nemesis of He-Man, as “the epitome of toxic masculinity.”
In an interview Friday with Empire, Knight explained how he worked with actor Jared Leto, who plays Skeletor in the film, to create their own iteration of the villain.
“Jared approached us, because he loves Skeletor and he has his own history with the character. He wanted to swing for the fences. And in the end we came up with something that I’m happy with,” he told Empire. “Skeletor’s kind of epitome of toxic masculinity.”
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The explosion of Skeletor from “Masters of the Universe” is seen during the 2022 Comic-Con International on July 24, 2022, in San Diego, California. (Daniel Knighton/Getty Images)
Skeletor was first introduced as part of Mattel’s “He-Man” and “Masters of the Universe” toy lines in the early ’80s and quickly became one of the decade’s most iconic cartoon characters.
The first iteration of the fearsome villain was seen with his signature golden skull, purple robe and high pitched, maniacal laugh. Skeletor was portrayed as a cruel, arrogant leader who manipulated his followers while trying to destroy He-Man and rule over Eternia.
Knight told Empire that while the cartoon incarnation of Skeletor was “an interesting villain,” he wanted to create a unique take on the character for his film.
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“[Skeletor] he looked cool. He was afraid. He was funny. He was insecure. And then he had this different voice,” he said of the original iteration of the bandit, adding that he “wanted someone to create their own version of that.”
“Masters of the Universe” director Travis Knight said Skeletor is “the epitome of toxic masculinity.” (John Lamparski/WireImage)
Empire noted that this version of Skeletor “couldn’t have stayed like this,” considering the “Masters Of The Universe” reboot has been in the works for years, with previous iterations of the villain’s face on screen as a golden skull mask.
“I said, ‘F— that—. Skeletor has a skull face,'” Knight told the outlet. “That’s right. A living, talking, animated skull, and that’s it.”
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Knight’s version of “Masters of the Universe” premieres in theaters worldwide on June 5, 2026, and is the first film from the franchise since 1987.
The 2026 reboot grabbed attention with its first trailer. In it, the reboot introduces He-Man’s origin story before quickly cutting to the character sitting in a cubicle in a corporate office. His desk contains the nameplate “Adam Glenn,” the character’s alter ego, and a demonstrative pronoun that reads “He/Him.”
The actor’s manager then scolded him, saying, “This obsession with crazy things and sword stuff, it doesn’t look good on human resources.” In the trailer, he is reunited with the Power Sword and returns to Eternia, eventually fighting the main series antagonist Skeletor.
The previous film in the series is widely regarded as a cult classic, featuring Hollywood icon Dolph Lundgren as He-Man and Frank Langella as Skeletor.
Frank Langella as Skeletor in the 1987 “Masters of the Universe” movie. (Warner Brothers/Getty Images)
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Fox News’ Madison Colombo contributed to this report.
