This week, the latest Netflix original series isn’t a live-action show. Instead, Masters of the Universe: Revolution is a new animated series that follows up on the events of 2021’s Masters of the Universe: Revelation. Both of those shows are based on Mattel’s action figure toy line and the original He-Man and the Masters of the Universe animated series that debuted in 1983. And while He-Man may not be the pop culture sensation that he was in the ’80s, Revelation‘s strong performance on Netflix led to Revolution, and these TV-PG animated shows are keeping the franchise alive with an adult audience.
For anyone who is either a lapsed He-Man fan or a new viewer who is coming to Eternia for the first time, we’re put together this guide to everything we know about Netflix’s Masters of the Universe: Revolution.
What happened in Masters of the Universe: Revelation?
He-Man died in the first few minutes of the show. But not before his lifelong friend, Teela, finally learned that He-Man and Prince Adam were one and the same. Teela felt so betrayed over that secret that she turned her back on her king and her father. However, Teela reluctantly returned to action a year later to go on a quest to restore Eternia’s magic and save the world.
During Teela’s journey to re-forge He-Man’s Sword of Power, she encountered Adam’s spirit in the afterlife and they reconciled. Adam also willingly gave up his afterlife paradise to return to Eternia in the flesh with his friends. Yet Adam narrowly avoided dying a second time when his nemesis, Skeletor, stabbed him and stole his power.
Skeletor’s god-like reign was short-lived, as his companion, Evil-Lyn, turned on him and took it for herself. In her overwhelming despair, Evil-Lyn almost destroyed the entire universe before Teela assumed the role of her late mother, the Sorceress, and convinced Evil-Lyn to relinquish her power.
In the end, Adam and Teela came to terms with each other and their new roles. Meanwhile, Skeletor was assimilated by a living machine known as Motherboard, which was revealed to be linked to his mentor, Hordak, who also happens to be the primary enemy of He-Man’s twin sister, She-Ra.
What’s happening in Masters of the Universe: Revolution?
Adam’s father, King Randor, has passed away, and now the Prince of Eternia may have to give up his powers as He-Man in order to become the new king. At the same time, Skeletor’s union with Motherboard has made him even more powerful. Skeletor can now assimilate Eternia’s citizens and make them extensions of his will. And that’s just the beginning of He-Man’s problems on this show.
Who is starring in Masters of the Universe: Revolution?
Supergirl actress Melissa Benoist is taking over the role of Teela from Sarah Michelle Gellar. The rest of the primary cast is largely intact from Revelation.
- Chris Wood as Prince Adam / He-Man
- Mark Hamill as Skeletor
- Liam Cunningham as Duncan / Man-At-Arms
- Lena Headey as Evil-Lyn “Lyn” / Majestra
- Diedrich Bader as King Randor, Trap Jaw
- Alicia Silverstone as Queen Marlena
- Stephen Root as Cringer / Battle Cat
- Griffin Newman as Orko
- Kevin Michael Richardson as Beast Man
- Henry Rollins as Tri-Klops
- Tony Todd as Scare-Glow
- Tiffany Smith as Andra
New cast members this season include Harley Quinn Smith as Illena, Meg Foster as Motherboard, Keith David as Hordak, and John De Lancie as Granamyr. Star Trek‘s William Shatner and Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s Gates McFadden have been cast in currently undisclosed roles.
Is there a trailer for Masters of the Universe: Revolution?
Yes, there is, and it’s already full of Easter Eggs for longtime fans. Not only does She-Ra’s nemesis, Hordak, appear, but so do several of his minions in the Horde as they invade Eternia. In another intriguing nod to the past, Gwildor, a character who first appeared in the 1987 live-action Masters of the Universe film, can be seen charging into battle alongside Orko.
But the most alarming thing about the trailer is the radical transformation of Teela from the Sorceress to a snake-like Goddess who resembles Teela’s earliest action figures. The circumstances of Teela’s change are unclear, but it may not be permanent, as the trailer closes with one of the most romantic images of Adam and Teela that we’ve ever seen in this franchise.
When is Masters of the Universe: Revolution debuting on Netflix?
Netfilx will drop every episode of Masters of the Universe: Revolution on Thursday, January 25.
