The Cancelled Masters of the Universe Movie From 10 Years Ago Has Finally Been Revealed

by

As a lifelong fan, I can’t believe it’s finally happening! After almost 20 years of trying to get it right, Masters of the Universe is actually coming to the big screen later this year. So many talented people have tried to bring Eternia to life over the years, and it’s wild to see what one version, a movie that was cancelled about 10 years ago, would have looked like. They just released a first look, and it’s amazing to finally see some of those early ideas!

Concept artist and creature designer Constantine Sekeris worked on the Masters of the Universe movie planned in 2015. He recently shared some early concept art he created, based on the script and intended feel of the film. The artwork features designs for He-Man, Teela, and Man-At-Arms. The costumes are streamlined and use a more subtle color scheme, while still staying true to the classic cartoon designs. You can view the artwork below.

Sekeris recently shared some old concept art on Instagram from a Masters of the Universe project they worked on back in 2015. They were hired for a few weeks to develop early designs based on the script and overall feel of the show. While cleaning up old hard drives, Sekeris rediscovered these images, which they thought were lost. They described the script as fantastic and the director as amazing, calling the project a real passion. Having grown up with He-Man and the characters, Sekeris had a long history with the brand, working on it intermittently for 14-15 years and exploring many different designs. They weren’t involved in the upcoming movie, but hope it’s a fun and enjoyable film that captures the spirit of their childhood. Sekeris plans to share more of this early concept work soon.

What Was The 2015 Masters of the Universe Movie, And Why Didn’t It Happen?

According to Sekeris, these designs are from 2015. While he doesn’t share much about the movie itself, he describes the script as ‘amazing’ and the director as ‘fantastic.’ He also clarifies that these designs aren’t related to the new film coming out this year, so we can rule that out.

From 2014 to 2018, the film went through many drafts that never materialized. In 2015, reports surfaced that Christopher Yost was hired to revise a previous draft directed by Jeff Wadlow. It’s possible a recent comment refers to Wadlow, but it could also be about McG, who was involved with the project in 2016.

Honestly, none of those early ideas for a new movie ever really took off, and there were a bunch of different reasons why. I remember hearing from Wadlow, who was involved for a while, that his vision for the franchise was much more fun and playful than what Sony was looking for back then. Then, in 2015, they brought Yost on board to work on a script, but things really got interesting in 2016 when the news about McG getting involved surfaced.

McG was determined to get the project made, but he also acknowledged Sony’s strict oversight and the need to gain their approval (according to IGN). These early designs suggest a darker, more serious tone than what Wadlow had previously brought to the studio, and they align with the timeframe if Sony was preparing to greenlight a movie. Sadly, that version never came to fruition, as Sony lost the rights to the franchise, which Netflix acquired in 2022. Now, after a long and complicated development, a Masters of the Universe movie is finally happening, and we’re excited to see it in theaters.

Masters of the Universe is set to hit theaters on June 5th, 2026.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

https://comicbook.com/movies/news/masters-of-the-universe-first-look-at-he-mans-power-sword-fixes-a-40-year-old-problem/embed/#

Read More

2026-01-03 19:46