The first trailer for Masters of the Universe pulled back the curtain on Jared Leto's Skeletor, and while we've yet to hear him speak, it's clear that we're getting a very cartoon-accurate take on the iconic villain.
Still, the Morbius and TRON: Legacy star playing the character has drawn a mixed response from fans. After a series of box office bombs, it might be for the best that the Oscar-winner's face is hidden beneath a CG skull, but we see no reason not to give him a chance.
Talking to Empire Online (via Toonado.com), Masters of the Universe director Travis Knight revealed that previous versions of the movie's script depicted Skeletor as a man wearing a golden skull mask. "I said, 'F**k that shit. Skeletor has a skull face,'" he stated. "That’s just the way it is. It’s a living, talking, emoting skull, and that’s that."
With that decided on, the filmmaker knew he had to get the character right. For him, Leto was ultimately the perfect choice to help with that, and it sounds like fans can expect a very timely portrayal of the evil inhabitant of Castle Grayskull.
"Skeletor was a really interesting villain," Knight 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," he continued. "And ultimately, we landed on something that I’m really happy with. Skeletor’s kind of the embodiment of toxic masculinity."
Toxic masculinity refers to harmful, traditional societal norms that pressure men to act tough, suppress emotions, and assert dominance through aggressive acts, which does sound like a modern way to describe Skeletor. We can't imagine Masters of the Universe getting too political, but this might still be a big bad with something to say.
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.