Masters of the Universe is finally here and not only is it ruddy awesome, not only is it pure escapism and fantasy, and not only is it a joy to watch, it is also filled with nods, winks, and in-jokes to the wide world of MOTU. This film doesn’t operate on the sidelines, it goes in hard and serves up lots of moments for long-time fans to really get a kick out of.
Want the ten best fan-pleasing moments in 2026’s Masters of the Universe? Of course you do – and you can have them! But first a WARNING.
There are MAJOR SPOILERS ahead. If you don’t want to know any more about Masters of the Universe, please turn back now.
—
An iconic call-back
First up, no new Masters movie would be anything without a call-back to what came before. Reboots of old properties should always pay respect to yesteryear and 2026’s Masters of the Universe is no different.
And how does this movie pass the torch? By including a smile-inducing cameo from former He-Man actor, Dolph Lundgren.
Lundgren – who played He-Man in 1987’s Masters of the Universe – pops up during a gym sequence to offer Nicholas Galitzine’s Adam some advice, and even gets the opportunity to sign off with the phrase “Good journey” – a phase used by the heroic warriors of ‘87’s Masters movie.
—
Frighteningly good
Up next, a quick in-joke appears during a scene in which Adam goes in search of the Sword of Power. Adam became separated from the sword when he was sent to Earth as a child, and has spent 15 years looking high and low for it.
After being tipped off about its whereabouts, he heads to a comic book shop known as The Fright Zone, which is where it is currently located. The Fright Zone is a reference to a classic (and bloody great) playset from the original Masters of the Universe toy-line.
__
Big toys
Upon entering The Fright Zone, Adam locates the sword which is situated next to a stack of Big Jim toys – a mostly forgotten line of action figures from Mattel, which appeared in toy shops between 1972 and 1986. The joke here is that Big Jim shares a connection to Masters of the Universe – and it’s not just via Mattel.
The original Battle Cat toy from Mattel’s Masters of the Universe line started life as a Big Jim toy. Battle Cat was essentially a Big Jim Tiger, repainted and strapped up with armour.
Mattel became famous for reusing old toy molds to save money, and never was this more the case than it was with Masters of the Universe.
__
What’s Up?
The internet can be a wonderful thing (at times) and arguably one of its greatest achievements is when it provided the opportunity for a viral He-Man video back in 2005. The video – titled He-Man Sings – combined footage from the original Masters of the Universe cartoon with music from the 4 Non Blondes’ 1992 hit single, ‘What’s Up?’, and hilarity ensued.
The new Masters of the Universe movie gives a little nod to this pop culture treat from the past during a scene when Adam is attacked by Beast Man. Adam has just found his missing sword, Beast Man attacks, and the iconic song plays in the background.
__
Let me introduce myself…
Onto this next in-joke and it takes place during the back-half of the movie when Adam, Man-At-Arms, Teela, and Roboto journey to Snake Mountain to reclaim the Sword of Power from Skeletor. Upon arrival, the group are met by Skeletor’s minion, Goat Man.
It’s at this point that Adam introduces himself as follows: “I am Adam, Prince of Eternia and defender of the secrets of Castle Grayskull.” The line is the same line said by Adam in the opening credits to the original cartoon.
__
What a tune!
Some more nods and references to the original cartoon also appear towards the very end of the movie. One of these is the original cartoon theme tune which plays out as the film begins to wind down.
__
The clothes make the heroes
Along with the iconic ’80s theme, various characters don cartoon accurate costumes, including Teela and Adam, who look as if they have been lifted directly from the past. Teela’s costume in particular is a marvellous throwback.
__
A fabulous secret
And just as the movie heads towards the credits, a new crisis arises, leading Adam to run off with Cringer, so they can ‘secretly’ transform into He-Man and Battle Cat. During this scene, Adam’s group of friends pass comment amongst themselves that Adam really doesn’t need to run off as they know he is He-Man.
This is not only a funny moment in the film, but also a nod to the fact that in the cartoon it was obvious that Adam and He-Man were one and the same, because they look the same! The joke here is that perhaps everyone always knows that Adam and He-Man are linked, they just act polite and keep it to themselves.
__
In today’s story…
Into the end credits, and fan-favourite character, Orko, makes a quick appearance to provide a brief moral message to the audience. This is a nod to the way in which each episode of the ’80s cartoon would end, with one of the heroic characters delivering a moral message to the young viewers at home.
__
Princess of Power
And finally, the film’s mid-credit scene introduces a character who is absent from the major events of the movie – and it’s a character fans will be more than familiar with. Yep, it’s She-Ra, aka Adam’s twin sister, Princess Adora!
The movie doesn’t give an explanation for Adora’s absence during the rest of the movie, although a brief exchange between Man-At-Arms and Queen Marla suggests she has been missing for a while. And her absence would be something Adam is unaware of.
In the original He-Man and She-Ra cartoons, Adora was kidnapped as a baby and taken to the planet Etheria (which can be seen in this mid-credit scene). Adam was unaware of Adora’s existence, as he was a baby when she vanished.
__
__
Thank you for stopping by It’s A Stampede! to read this post about Masters of the Universe. For more posts be sure to check out the recommended reads below.
It's A Stampede! 
Leave a comment