When the main characters were announced for the new Masters of the Universe movie, a lot of fans of the classic animated series were disappointed to learn that Mer-Man wouldn't be among Skeletor's roster of Evil Warriors.
A staple of the '80s cartoon, the Aquatican warlord was one of the first action figures to hit shelves as part of Mattel's debut toyline, and was generally viewed as Skeletor's most prominent henchman along with Beast Man and Trap Jaw.
Now, director Travis Knight has revealed that Mer-Man actually does make an appearance in the movie - but you'll have to be watching very closely to spot him.
“I really wanted to get Mer-Man in the story, but I couldn’t make it work," Knight told SFX in the latest issue of the magazine. "However, my prosthetics guy did me a solid. If you look in the background, there’s a dude who looks exactly like Mer-Man wandering around. For the keen-eyed fan, they’ll see some cool stuff in the background.”
Could we see Mer-Man in a potential sequel? Without getting into spoilers, Masters of the Universe does lay the groundwork for a follow-up in several ways, so there's every chance we could visit the underwater kingdom of the Aquanticans if the studio does decide to make MOTU a franchise.
According to an updated synopsis, "In MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE, Director Travis Knight brings the legendary franchise back to the big screen in this epic live-action adventure. After being separated for 15 years, the Sword of Power leads Prince Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) back to Eternia where he discovers his home shattered under the fiendish rule of Skeletor (Jared Leto). To save his family and his world, Adam must join forces with his closest allies, Teela (Camila Mendes) and Duncan/Man-At-Arms (Idris Elba), and embrace his true destiny as He-Man — the most powerful man in the universe."
Masters of the Universe stars Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Adam/He-Man, Camila Mendes as Teela, Jared Leto as Skeletor, Idris Elba as Man-At-Arms, Morena Baccarin as The Sorceress and James Purefoy and Charlotte Riley as Adam's parents, King Randor and Queen Marlena. Alison Brie will also feature as Skeletor's second-in-command, Evil-Lyn.
Sam C. Wilson will play Trap Jaw, with Kojo Attah as Tri-Klops, and Kristin Wiig recently joined the cast as the voice of Roboto.
Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch will produce, along with DeVon Franklin.
The story follows “10-year-old Prince Adam who crashed to Earth in a spaceship and was separated from his magical Power Sword—the only link to his home on Eternia. After tracking it down almost two decades later, Prince Adam is whisked back across space to defend his home planet against the evil forces of Skeletor. But to defeat such a powerful villain, Prince Adam will first need to uncover the mysteries of his past and become He-Man: the most powerful man in the Universe!”
Masters of the Universe is set to hit theatres on June 5.