MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE Director Already Has His Dream She-Ra Casting Pick for a Sequel
When audiences stuck around through the credits of Masters of the Universe, they were rewarded with a pretty exciting tease that could have major implications for the franchise's future.
One of the film's three post-credits scenes brought She-Ra into live-action, setting the stage for what could become a much bigger story if a sequel gets the green light.
The scene unfolds as Queen Marlena and Man-At-Arms discuss Adam's return to Eternia. During the conversation, Duncan reflects on someone else who may one day return, saying, "Perhaps one day she'll come back to us, too."
The movie then cuts to Adam's twin sister, assuming the filmmakers continue to follow that aspect of the classic mythology.
Standing with the Sword of Protection in hand, She-Ra makes her first appearance. One of her allies approaches and asks, "Force Captain... Adora?," to which she responds, "No... not anymore."
Although actress Lauren Saliu appears in the scene, She-Ra is only shown from behind, with just a partial glimpse of her face. Because of that, many fans expect the role could be recast if a sequel moves forward.
The sequence also appears to place Adora in Etheria's Fright Zone, a detail that could hint at the arrival of Hordak and the Evil Horde in a future installment.
Fans of the franchise know Hordak as Skeletor's ruthless mentor, and his inclusion would dramatically expand the scope of the Masters of the Universe mythology on the big screen.
Director Travis Knight already seems to be thinking ahead. While speaking with Total Film, Knight revealed that he already knows “exactly who” he'd want to play She-Ra if he gets the opportunity to direct another movie. Unfortunately, he's keeping that name under wraps for now.
The filmmaker explained: "Mattel created the character, but it's a little bit like Marvel in the '90s, how some of that stuff is carved out all over the place, and so it was a complicated rights issue.
“And so we could use her, [then] we couldn't use her. She was in the movie, she was out of the movie. We always held tight to like, hopefully we could have her in there and we wrote the scene in such a way that it was modular, that we could use it if we got the chance and if we couldn't."
That behind-the-scenes struggle makes She-Ra's appearance feel even more significant. There was clearly a point where the character might not have made it into the movie at all, but the creative team left themselves enough flexibility to include her if the rights situation worked out.
Now that the Princess of Power has officially entered the live-action world, speculation about who should play Adora is already ramping up. One name that continues to pop up among fans is Samara Weaving, who many viewers feel has the charisma and screen presence to bring the iconic heroine to life.
Of course, Knight's mystery choice remains unknown, and that only adds another layer of intrigue to the conversation.
If Masters of the Universe does continue with a sequel, She-Ra feels like a natural next step for the franchise. Between Adora's introduction, the possibility of Etheria, and the looming threat of Hordak and the Evil Horde, the groundwork appears to be in place for a much bigger adventure.
For now, fans can only speculate about who Knight has in mind. The bigger question is whether we'll actually get to see She-Ra step fully into the spotlight.
Who would you cast as She-Ra in a future Masters of the Universe sequel?