2026’s Masters of the Universe has proved there is still plenty of life left in ageing IPs. And thanks to the way the movie is handled by director Travis Knight, there’s also plenty of love too.
As such, if Masters of the Universe can be handled well and attract cinemagoers of all ages, then there’s hope for many more icons from the past. Let’s not just stop at MOTU, let’s bring back a wealth of heroes and villains from yesteryear!
Which ones? Well, how about these…
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ThunderCats
Surely THIS is the cartoon series everyone wants to see next on the big screen, right? And considering ThunderCats has been around since 1985 it seems kind of odd it hasn’t already happened.
Either way, let’s see Lion-O, Panthro, Cheetara, Tygra, WilyKit, WilyKat, and Snarf in a live-action adventure. Mumm-Ra will be the bad guy (obviously) and Jaga can pop up to offer sage advice.
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Thundarr the Barbarian
Rewinding the clock even further, and pre-dating Masters of the Universe by a couple of years, brings us neatly to Thundarr the Barbarian. If Masters of the Universe has proved anything, it’s that fantasy is cool.
So, let’s bring back this post-apocalyptic animated series, but in live-action. Heck, it can come back as an animated movie if necessary, just bring it back!
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BraveStarr
Onto this next ’80s classic, and it is of course the brilliant BraveStarr – a fantastic cartoon from Filmmation, the same studio behind the original Masters of the Universe cartoon. For those who don’t quite remember, BraveStarr was a space-western about a law man on the planet of New Texas.
The cartoon was short-lived, running for just one season, but across the course of 65 episodes there is enough material for a movie. And if all else fails, just give us 90-minutes of BraveStarr and his faithful steed, Thirty/Thirty, kicking ass and taking names.
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The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers
Another oft-overlooked ’80s cartoon which is ripe for revival, and another space-western to boot, is the fantastic sci-fi ‘toon, The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers. The show focused on four Galaxy Rangers – Zachary Foxx, Shane Gooseman, Niko, Doc Hartford – who specialise in delivering law and order across the new frontier (i.e. space).
Set in the future, and heavily influenced by Star Wars, The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers was a fantastic cartoon back in its day. It’s largely fallen through the cracks since its initial broadcast, but would make for one heck of a movie.
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Xena: Warrior Princess
A significant change for this next one, as it’s not an ’80s cartoon. Instead, Xena: Warrior Princess is a ’90s live-action fantasy series which really should have become a movie by now.
The original show – a spin-off from Hercules: The Legendary Journeys – starred Lucy Lawless and Renee O’Connor and followed the story of a former villain in Ancient Greece who attempts to put right her many wrongs. The show was sword-and-sorcery perfection, featured a plethora of Greek gods, and already has a built-in and very loyal fan base ready and waiting for a film.
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Samurai Jack
And finally, switching back to cartoons for this next one – the sci-fi fantasy show, Samurai Jack. The series – from Genndy Tartakovsky – followed the story of an ancient samurai who is sent to a dystopian future, after he comes close to bumping off a tyranical shape-shifting demon.
Out of his comfort zone, the samurai – dubbed Jack by the locals – must find a way to stop the demon and return home. Along the way he meets many foes and allies, in a genre-bending mash-up of ideas and scenarios, which would look amazing on the big screen.
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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.
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