Will There Be A Masters Of The Universe 2? It's More Likely Than You Think
Box office underperformance isn't enough to keep down the Hero of Eternia.
For a character who debuted on television screens (but not before his first appearance in comics) all the way back in 1983, it’s an actual miracle that He-Man has persisted in pop culture for as long as he has. Created as the centerpiece for a new Mattel toy line intended to revitalize the company after the immense popularity of the original Star Wars action figures, not only does He-Man have the honor of being one of the most financially successful toy releases of all time, but he’s also been a consistent presence across television and film. He’s had 3 different animated TV shows (not counting the original She-Ra spin-off) and two live-action movies: one a derided 80s flop (that some consider a cult classic) starring Dolph Lundgren in the central role, and the other just recently landed in theaters back at the beginning of June.
2026’s Travis Knight-directed Masters of the Universe reboot was met with a mixed but mostly positive critical reception, with a lot of praise aimed at the earnestness of the film as opposed to the much easier tongue-in-cheek ironic route it could’ve taken. For all intents and purposes, it actively embraces the silliness and high-fantasy absurdism of the original series, and yet that wasn’t enough to make it a box office success: it has unfortunately only grossed a little over $100 million on a budget twice that size, which seems like it might dampen any conversations about a potential follow-up. However, there’s always a chance that a sequel might come about anyway, specifically due to who distributed the movie.
Even if the film’s total gross isn’t Avengers level, there’s still hope for He-Man’s cinematic future.
In a statement released to Variety after the film’s opening weekend, the domestic distribution chief at Amazon-MGM (the film’s distributor), Kevin Wilson, praised Travis Knight and the cast as well, claiming that the film’s opening “is exactly the kind of crucial first moment that validates our holistic distribution strategy.” He went on to say that the movie’s opening gross is “building awareness and engagement that will carry well beyond the theatrical window.” From the sounds of it, one would assume that Amazon-MGM is less worried about the movie’s initial theatrical gross because they’re fully prepared for a wider audience to arrive once Masters of the Universe arrives on streaming.
This isn’t a confirmation of anything, but it is an idea that makes sense – depending on how big a draw the movie is when it inevitably lands on streaming (be it Amazon Prime or MGM+), there’s a possibility that sequel discussions could come out of that. With its underperformance in theaters, a sequel might end up released exclusively on a streaming platform, but that’s not necessarily a problem in today’s media landscape depending on who you ask: Netflix, for instance, has experienced great success with the Knives Out sequels being streaming-only affairs (not counting limited theatrical windows), and they’re also planning on releasing David Fincher’s follow-up to Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood on the platform.
An eventual sequel could become a big-budget gem for either streaming platform if it skips out on a theatrical release.
There’s still an uphill battle Masters of the Universe has to fight to get another installment, as there has to be a visible demand for one once the film hits streaming. But as for Travis Knight’s plans, it’s clear that MotU was intended to be the start of a new blockbuster superhero-adjacent franchise, considering the post-credits scene introduces He-Man’s long-lost sister She-Ra. Hopefully, the movie becomes the massive success at home that it didn’t get the chance to become at the box office, because there’s a clear reason that the character has been so consistently revived across the years, and Masters of the Universe tried its hardest to honor those qualities about He-Man that have made him so beloved for over 40 years now.
