First Look At Kevin Smith's 'Masters Of The Universe: Revelation'
Rejoice, children of the 1980's! He-Man is making a triumphant return to our screens after a long time gone in the form of Masters of the Universe: Revelation from the amazing Kevin Smith.
With the end of Netflix's She-Ra and the Princesses of Power after five seasons, it has been confirmed that we will indeed be returning to the land of Eternia, but by following the exploits of Prince Adam a.k.a He-Man. The character of He-Man has seen a resurgence as of late as, not only are we getting this new show, but also because there are plans for another live-action movie and a different CG-animated show called He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, which will be aimed at a younger audience.
Smith's new show will be very much aimed and designed for fans of the original show from back in the 80's. Now, granted, I was not born at that point. (I'm a 90's child.) But I grew up watching He-Man with my older brother who loved the show and even had all the figures, so I'm very well educated on the characters.
The He-Man franchise was huge throughout the 80's, with a ton of toys based on the TV show as well as a feature film starring Dolph Lundgren as the titular hero and Frank Langella as his nemesis Skeletor. Since then, there have been talks and rumors of multiple different He-Man projects, but nothing ever seemed to come from it, until now.
A few days ago, Entertainment Weekly got an exclusive first look at the new show, and now we get to bring them to you, too. The show is set to take place directly after the events of the original series' run, but will see updated animation from Powerhouse Animation and a brand new voice cast.
Supergirl's Chris Wood will voice Prince Adam/He-Man, but perhaps most exciting of all, the voice of Skeletor will come from none other than the legendary Mark Hamill. Most animated show fans will know him as the voice of The Joker since the early 90's, as well as other villainous animated characters (and the obvious role of Luke Skywalker), so it will be exciting to see what he brings to the table as this iconic villain.
Other cast members confirmed to be a part of the show are Lena Headey (Cersei from Game of Thrones) as Evil-Lyn, Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy) as Teela, Alicia Silverstone (Clueless) as Queen Marlena, and even Kevin Conroy as Mer-Man. The addition of Conroy is made even more interesting, as Hamill voiced the Joker against Conroy's Batman, so we know these two have experience in going head-to-head against one another. There's also a nice throwback for fans of the original show as original Skeletor voice actor, Alan Oppenheimer, will also be returning, this time in the role of Moss Man.
Smith has gone on record numerous times stating how much of a fan he was of He-Man, so it seems only fitting that he would be the one to continue the story, and it would certainly appear that he will handle it with care, bringing it into the modern world whilst also respecting what came before. Following a string of success with his Daredevil comics at Marvel, it was decided that Smith would be the best person to take on this project due to his ability to find "new ways to tell the story" whilst remaining "loyal to the source material."
Smith has confirmed, despite the updated animation and new storylines, that the characters will essentially be the same as they were when we last saw them. However, he has also stated that as the series progresses, we will see them begin to change as they go through their respective story arcs. This seems like a very smart play as it sounds like he has found a way to appeal to older fans as well as attract new ones who may not have seen the original show.
Any potential plot details have, thus far, been kept under wraps, though we do know there will be a "cataclysmic event" that will cause a shift and allow character growth, but we have no idea what it will be.
Part 1 is set to premier on Netflix July 23, so we don't have long to wait to find out. We may yet still get some clues and hints during the lead up to release. With Smith at the helm and a tremendous voice cast bringing these characters back to life, it's safe to say that the show is in good hands, and it's only a matter of time before kids (and some adults) start shouting, "I have the power!" once again.
Until next time!