The alpha, and the omega. The beginning and the end. And as one dies, so shall another be reborn! For the first time, Mattel has created He-Man and Skeletor action figures based on the 1987 Masters of the Universe live-action movie. They’re not the first 1987 movie Masters figures: Blade, Saurod and Gwildor appeared in the ’80s toy line, and Super7 made Ultimates of He-Man, Skeletor, and Karg. But these will be the first Mattel versions of the two main characters, and presumably available on a wider basis.
Licensing agreements previously hampered toy deals based on the movie. While Masters of the Universe remained a niche, mail-order collectors’ line, paying for the rights was cost-prohibitive. For a larger line to sell at mainstream stores, it’s less of an issue. Both He-Man and Skeletor utilize the Masterverse base body, and it’s not clear if Mattel obtained the actor likenesses. If they did, they’re a little soft and stylized.
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So far, we know nothing besides the above images, shared on Mattel’s social media channels. But they’ve given fans new hope that other movie variants could happen. The William Stout designs for Beast Man, Teela, Man-at-Arms, Sorceress, Pig Boy, and Evil-Lyn never saw toy form. Nor did Skeletor’s robot troopers and Sky Centurions, not designed by Stout. The radically redesigned Castle Grayskull would also make quite the fun toy if Mattel wanted to go all out.
What do you think of these Masterverse figures? Let us know in comments.
Recommended Reading: The Toys of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
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