The latest trailer for Masters Of The Universe gave fans the first substantial look at villain Skeletor, played by Jared Leto.
The big screen adaptation of the long-running cartoon franchise stars Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man, aka Adam, the prince of distant planet Eternia, who returns home from exile on Earth to liberate his kingdom from Skeletor. The film comes to UK cinemas on June 5, and also stars Camila Mendes, Idris Elba, and Alison Brie.
The trailer, which you can watch below, shows Adam returning to his home and rallying allies to help overthrow Skeletor, finding the Sword Of Power, an enchanted weapon that turns him into He-Man. It also shows him fighting Skeletor, who taunts him during combat with the line: “You may have the power, but you’re too scared to use it.”
The footage also reveals the character speaking for the first time, showing Leto appearing to opt for a British accent for the role. The Oscar winner has been involved in a number of high-profile box office disappointments in recent years, with his starring roles in Marvel movie Morbius and Tron: Ares losing money at the box office. While 2016’s Suicide Squad did turn a profit, his performance as The Joker was criticised by fans, prompting studio Warner Bros to leave him out of future instalments.
The version of Skeletor from the ‘80s cartoons featured a shrill voice and a maniacal laugh, which made the character an internet meme in recent years. Leto appears to have moved away from both those aspects, and fans on X (formerly Twitter) were divided on the choice. “That’s a very unserious villain voice” wrote one fan in response to the clip.
However, another argued: “Jared Leto is skipping the funny high-pitched voice for something more serious and ‘Shakespearean.’ It’s a big risk to play a blue skeleton like a dramatic actor, but he’s basically trying to make Skeletor scary again instead of just a meme.”
Recently, BRIT Awards host Jack Whitehall recalled a time when Leto, who is also the frontman of band Thirty Seconds To Mars, tried to physically change an autocue because he didn’t like his intro.
English (US) · 