Directed by Travis Knight, Masters of the Universe sees Prince Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) reclaiming the Sword of Power and returning to the fantastical world of Eternia after spending several years exiled on Earth, learning how to finally fulfill his destiny as the Champion of Grayskull while contending with Skeletor (Jared Leto) and his legions of Evil Warriors.
Some of the Easter eggs in Masters of the Universe are pretty straightforward, with various elements and characters coming straight from the original Filmation cartoon and the classic Mattel toy line. However, others are far more obscure, tied to multiple eras of the franchise as well as its lasting impact in the modern era via internet meme culture. Keeping all that in mind, here are the biggest Easter eggs, references, cameos, and hidden details we spotted throughout the new Masters of the Universe movie.
The Biggest And Best Easter Eggs, References, Callbacks, and Cameos In Masters of the Universe
MGM's Green Tiger Takeover — Prince Adam's green tiger and loyal companion, named Cringer/Battle-Cat, replaces the traditional lion in the movie's opening MGM logo.
Dragons — Prince Adam's opening narration confirms the existence of dragons in Eternia as one flies by. Living in the Valley of Dragons as well as Darksmoke in the Ice Mountains, this is the only dragon we see in Masters of the Universe.
Burning Deserts & Enchanted Forests — Referring to burning deserts and enchanted forests in the same narration, Eternia does feature notable regions like Evergreen Forest, as well as The Sand of Time, one of Eternia's largest deserts.
"Don’t Be A Squink"— In the flashbacks to Prince Adam's childhood in the city of Eternos before he was sent to Earth, he's told by Teela not to be a "squink", a fuzzy mouse-like creature native to Eternia. This also ties to Prince Adam's more cowardly and foolish personality when he's not transformed as He-Man.
Ram Man — Nicknamed "Ram Man" by a 10-year-old Prince Adam, Krass is one of Eternos' many Heroic Warriors who possesses the powers of a human battering ram.
Mekaneck — Mekaneck is another warrior nicknamed Adam (real name Orius), characterized by his long, mechanical, and retractable bionic neck, which he uses as his primary weapon.
Fisto — Armed with a giant metal fist, Fisto is naturally the perfect nickname for the Heroic Warrior whose real name is Malcom.
Man-At-Arms — Captain of Eternos' Royal Guard, Duncan is the Man-At-Arms and adopted father of Teela, a master of weapons armed with multiple firearms and a large club, just like in the original Filmation series.
Trapjaw — One of the first named Evil Warriors to debut in Masters of Evil, Trapjaw is one of Skeletor's most formidable minions, armed with an incredibly strong metal jaw and a mechanical arm capable of producing a variety of weapons.
Evil-Lyn — Played by Allison Brie, Evil-Lyn is Skeletor's chief advisor and one of the only Evil Warriors whom Lord Skeletor doesn't constantly verbally torment. That said, she still faces his wrath at different periods in this new movie.
Skeletor’s Long Laugh — Skeletor's sinister laughs hilariously go too long throughout Masters of the Universe, a fun nod to some of the best memes and internet videos where his laugh looped as his minions awkwardly wait for him to finish.
Queen Marlena’s Earth Origins — While there isn't much backstory in the movie itself, Queen Marlena is confirmed to hail from Earth, hence the decision to send young Prince Adam to her homeworld during Skeletor's invasion of Eternos. In the original comics released in 1982 just before the animated series, it was revealed that Marlena was a part of NASA before she was stranded on Eternia and married King Radnor.
80’s Portal — The swirling energy portal that opens for young Prince Adam couldn't be more classic. Likewise, the rainbow effect as Adam travels to Earth absolutely brings to mind Marvel's Thor and the Bifrost.
The Notebook — Adam's roommate is secretly watching Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams' The Notebook, only to quickly turn it off when Adam comes home from his date.
Adam’s Pink Shirt — Adam's pink shirt is a clear reference to his classic look as Prince Adam in the original Filmation series with his pink vest.
Staff Team Mantras — At his soul-sucking job as an HR rep, Adam recites a team mantra along with his coworkers: “I Have The Power Mantra To Be The Best Version Of Myself.” A clear reference to the classic line when Adam transforms into He-Man using the Sword of Power.
He/Him — Adam's preferred pronouns are shown on his desk nameplate as He/Him, an intentional nod to his more heroic He-Man name as the Champion of Grayskull.
Dolph Lundgren's Sage Wisdom — Adam runs into none other than Dolph Lundgren at the gym, the original live-action He-Man actor in 1987's Masters of the Universe movie. Not only does Dolph's character say that Adam is "taking his spot" as a fun tongue-in-cheek meta reference, but his advice about backing yourself rather than worrying about your front facade epically comes back around in the movie's final act.
"Good Journey Kid"— Dolph Lundgren's cameo ends with the classic farewell of "Good Journey", another callback to 1987's Masters of the Universe.
The Fright Zone — Adam finds the missing Sword of Power in a comic shop called "The Fright Zone", named after the villainous lair belonging to Skeletor's mentor Hordak on the world of Etheria.
Superman Comic — A Superman comic is prominently featured in the comic shop, most likely a reference to the Man of Steel being a large reason behind Queen Marlena's Earth origins, as it was a means for Adam to be aware of the events on Earth and its superheroes for Superman and He-Man's 1982 crossover.
Torak (Early He-Man) — A statue of Torak is shown holding the Sword of Power, an early design for He-Man himself.
Big Jim Figures (Godfather Of The Toyline) — Multiple Big Jim action figures for Mattel are featured in the comic shop as well. Many Big Jim models and molds were used for the initial He-Man toyline, most notably Cringer, resulting in the Battle-Cat mount concept, as He-Man was relatively smaller than Big Jim.
10 Things I Hate About You — Adam's roommate is later watching 10 Things I Hate About You, again hastily turning it off once anyone else enters the room.
“Nice Sword, Highlander” — After stealing the sword from the comic shop, Adam is arrested by the cops, who both joke about his sword by calling him "Highlander", a reference to the classic action fantasy movie about immortal sword duelists released the year before 1987's Masters of the Universe. Similarly, a Highlander reboot is also on the way.
“I Got The Power” — An excellent and incredibly fitting needle drop in the police car, "I've Got The Power" by Snap! plays just before an even better track.
“What’s Going On?” — Attacked by one of Skeletor's Evil Warriors, 4 Non Blondes' "What's Up?" hilariously plays, connecting to the classic He-Man internet video/meme featuring the far more ridiculous rendition of the song, "Fabulous Secret Powers/"HEEYYEYAAEYAAAEYAEYAA" by SLACKCiRCUS, a video that is (somehow) 21years old.
Beast Man — The first Evil Warrior faced by Teela and Adam together is Beast Man, a frequent victim of Skeletor's verbal and physical abuse, both in the original cartoon and in this new movie.
Talon Fighter — Teela's ship is a Talon Fighter, a classic vehicle from Mattel's He-Man toyline.
Tri-Klops — Tri-Klops is another classic Evil Warrior, known for his three types of vision (distavision, nightvision, gammavision) with his singular cybernetic eye.
Pig Boy — Another callback character from 1987's Masters of the Universe, Skeletor is woken up and attended to by Pig Boy. In the 1987 film, Pig Boy was played by 8-year-old Richard Szponder, who won a contest from Mattel to appear in the movie (and receive a full collection of toys).
Throne & Staff of Havoc — Skeleton's classic thrones of bones and Staff of Havoc are shown and named just before the villain learns that Prince Adam and the Sword of Power have returned to Eternia, looking just like they do in the original series.
Subternia — After Skeletor laid waste to Eternos, the remaining Heroic Warriors went into hiding in the underground realm of Subternia.
Skeletor Abusing His Minions — Just the Skeletor of the original Filmation series, Jared Leto uses the very same insults on his minions, calling them "blockheads", "boobs," and "milquetoasts."
Skeletor’s Burning Touch — Skeletor repeatedly burns his minions and enemies when he touches them, the result of his Havoc powers typically channeled through his staff.
Moss Man — Moss Man is indeed an original Heroic Warrior, though his name seems to come from Evil-Lyn in the new movie, who absolutely pretended to know his name when Skeletor asks.
Roboto — A fully robotic Heroic Warrior created by Man-At-Arms, Roboto is voiced by none other than comedy legend Kristen Wiig.
Dian — Really only known in the movie for pushing Adam into lockers when he was a kid, Dian is actually a deep cut to a Heroic Warrior who was only ever featured in just a handful of the newspaper comic strips of the early 80s with her twin pistols (until now).
"By The Power of Grayskull" — Beyond the classic leather armor, Adam's first transformation into He-Man sees him receiving better hair and seemingly more tan skin in comparison, not unlike in the original cartoon. Likewise, the outline of Castle Grayskull is shown behind him during the transformation, just like in the animated series.
Rotons — The ships with spinning blades like buzzsaws are known as Rotons, another classic vehicle from the toyline.
Fright Fighters — Skeletor's minions also used Fright Fighters that somewhat resemble dragonflies (also from the toyline).
Sky-Sled — Adam briefly uses a Sky-Sled hoverbike to take out the fighters (seen in the animated series and toyline).
Goat Man — One of Skeletor's largest and most imposing Evil Warriors is Goat Man, featuring red skin and large black horns. Goat Man is a more obscure villain, having only appeared in a 1985 Golden Book and 2021's Revelation prior to his latest live-action debut.
Zoar Falcon — The Sorceress of Castle Grayskull (Morena Baccarin) appears before Adam in her falcon form named Zoar.
“Thank Zodak, You’re Alive” — Said by Teela upon finding Adam after the ship battle, Zodak was originally an omnipotent god in the original comics. In the Filmation cartoon, he was a member of the Council of the Wise who maintained the universe's cosmic balance.
Skeletor’s Projections — Projecting himself for all of Eternia to see, this ability from Skeletor was frequently seen in the original animated series and in the 1987 movie.
Snake Mountain — Snake Mountain is the classic lair of Skeletor himself, surrounded by dark rocks and fields of lava.
“I Cheat!” — Skeletor's line about his willingness to cheat connects to one of his most well-known animated lines: "Yes, we'll win this game the old-fashioned way, the tried and true way: We'll cheat!"
Karg — Karg appears as one of the multiple Evil Warriors Skeletor calls upon to fight Adam, a lesser-known minion best known for his appearance in the 1987 movie serving Frank Langella's Skeletor.
Spikor — Spikor is also summoned to fight Adam, a classic Evil Warrior naturally covered in metal spikes.
Evil-Lyn’s Spells — Known as a "Word Witch", Evil-Lyn's chanting is a solid callback to earlier iterations of her character.
Photanium — It's revealed that the cells the Heroic Warriors are thrown into are made with photanium, the strongest metal in the universe, mined from the planet Phantos.
Skeletor's Ship — Inspired by the villain's ship in the original cartoon and toyline, Skeletor's The Collector makes an appearance in the movie's third act.
"Princes Of The Universe" — Hilariously made for the aforementioned Highlander franchise, it's hard to argue that Queen's "Princes of the Universe" isn't perfect during Masters' breakout and final battle sequences.
Cringer's Armor — Cringer complains that he should really have some armor, connected to his typical appearance in past iterations, wearing a full set of impressive, bright red armor.
Battle Cat - Adam officially names Cringer "Battle Cat" during the third act, the green tiger's own alter ego while serving as He-Man's mount.
Elba vs. Ship — Man-At-Arms' rematch with Trapjaw, who's piloting a large ship, absolutely brings to mind Idris Elba's past role as the MCU's Heimdall, who similarly took down a Dark Elf ship single-handedly in Thor: The Dark World.
Skeletor Stealing Dreams — Entering Adam's mind during their final confrontation, Skeletor's mental power connects to his classic ability to manipulate others' thoughts and "steal dreams" as seen with past versions of the villain.
Clicking/Chattering Teeth — After laughing, there's a great moment where Skeletor's jaw and teeth chatter and click as he opens and closes his mouth, a callback to the classic sound effects seen in the original animated series.
"Oh, Balls..." — While it may not be a direct reference when Skeletor said it, I couldn't help but think of The Goldbergs and Adam F. Goldberg, as it was very much his signature exclamation in the ABC series anytime something went wrong. Set in the 80s and telling the story of Adam's life growing up with his family, Adam's love of movies in The Goldbergs meant his room was full of Star Wars, Transformers, and He-Man toys (including the coveted Castle Grayskull play set).
Roboto’s Gears — At the end of the movie, Roboto is shown with a new body featuring transparent pieces showing her gears within, just like the original Roboto's design.
Group Laughter — The prolonged group laughter from the Heroic Warriors is absolutely a callback to the campy episode endings of the 80s.
Classic Costumes — Adam and Teela both have new costumes at the movie's ending, making them look even more like their animated counterparts from the 80s, including Adam's pink vest and Teela's metal headband/tiara.
Warrior Goddess & He-Man Names — Adam admits that his 10-year-old self nicknamed Teela "Warrior Goddess" and himself "He-Man", the first time both of their classic names are said out loud in the new movie.
Avion Village — Heading to help an "Avion village", Avion is a civilization of winged simians known as Avionians who live in the Mystic Mountains.
Adam’s Secret Identity — In the original animated series, the only people who knew Prince Adam was also He-Man were Man-At-Arms, Orko, Cringer, and the Sorceress. However, the new movie instead reveals the Heroic Warriors are only letting Adam think he's keeping a secret identity (because how would they not know?).
He-Man & The Masters of the Universe OG Theme — The classic theme from the animated He-Man and the Masters of the Universe plays to close out the movie.
Freeze Frame — Another classic 80s trope, the movie ends with an epic freeze-frame of He-Man and Battle-Cat.
Orko — Just like the endings of the animated episodes with life lessons spoken directly to viewers, Orko makes his debut in the movie to share what was learned along the way, like the lesson that "guys with skulls for faces are bad." Hopefully, future sequels will feature much more of the Trollan wizard/mage.
Mer-Man — The Heroic Warriors Mer-Man is featured in the background of Orko's message to viewers.
She-Ra/Adora — In the post-credits scene, none other than Adora aka She-Ra is featured, played by actress Lauren Saliu. Adora is the secret sister of Prince Adam, who was captured when they were young.
Sword of Protection (Merged Designs) — She-Ra is shown wielding the Sword of Protection, which looks to have multiple past designs merged for its new live-action appearance.
Etheria — She-Ra looks to be on Etheria, the sister planet to Eternia.
Hordak & The Evil Horde — Having been referenced earlier in the movie, the debut of She-Ra and Etheria suggests that the planet's dark ruler Hordak and his Evil Horde will most likely be featured in a potential sequel. Hordak was Skeletor's mentor before he was betrayed by his apprentice.
Queen’s Brian May — The credits reveal that none other than Queen's Brian May played electric guitar for the movie's score. Likewise, it's since been revealed that Queen's music for both Highlander and Flash Gordon was a heavy inspiration for composer Daniel Pemberton's work on Masters of the Universe.
Until We Meet Again! — The final post-credits scene teases Skeletor's survival, not unlike the post-credits teasing Skeletor's return at the end of the 1987 movie, one of the OG post-credits before it became standard blockbuster practice. It also connects nicely with the classic Skeletor "Until We Meet Again!" meme.
Masters of the Universe is now playing in theaters from Mattel Studios and Amazon MGM Studios.
Release Date June 5, 2026
Director Travis Knight
Writers Chris Butler
Producers Jason Blumenthal, Robbie Brenner, Steve Tisch, Todd Black
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Nicholas Galitzine
Adam / He-Man
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English (US) ·