Amazon MGM Studios is banking on Masters of the Universe being one of this summer's biggest hits, and for old and new fans alike, merchandise will be plentiful when the movie hits theaters.
As toys start hitting store shelves, spoilers can often come from the strangest of places. What we didn't expect was for some UNO cards to reveal a potentially major Skeletor moment in the upcoming movie.
First spotted by He-Mania.com, the cards showcase Morena Baccarin as the Sorceress, James Wilkinson as Mekaneck, Jon Xue Zhang as Ram Man, James Apps as Spikor, and Hafthor Bjornsson as Goat Man, and while we've already seen quite a bit of Skeletor by now, what is that he's holding?
Yes, Skeletor somehow has He-Man's Sword of Power. Does that mean we're getting God Skeletor?
As a refresher, God Skeletor, or Skelegod, is the iconic villain at the pinnacle of his power. Usually, he takes on that form after absorbing the magic of Castle Greyskull, but in some iterations it's the Great Eye or, most notably in this case, the Sword of Power.
Skeletor is quite clearly holding it here, but obviously hasn't transformed. However, this may be pre-transformation or an intriguing hint about where his story is going and the challenge Prince Adam will face when he finally returns to Eternia.
For filmmaker Travis Knight, TRON: Ares star Jared Leto was the perfect choice to bring Skeletor to life on screen, and it sounds like fans can expect a very timely portrayal of the villain who desires control of Castle Grayskull.
"Skeletor was a really interesting villain," he shared. "He looked cool. He was scary. He was funny. He was insecure. And then of course he had this distinctive voice."
"I wanted someone to craft their own version of that. Jared approached us, because he loves Skeletor and has his own history with the character. He wanted to swing for the fences," Knight continued. "And ultimately, we landed on something that I’m really happy with. Skeletor’s kind of the embodiment of toxic masculinity."
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.
Written by Chris Butler and Aaron Nee & Adam Nee & Dave Callaham, and directed by Travis Knight, Masters of the Universe stars Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, Alison Brie, James Purefoy, Morena Baccarin, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Charlotte Riley, Kristen Wiig, Jared Leto, and Idris Elba.
Masters of the Universe opens in theaters on June 5, later this year.