MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE Test Screening Reactions Compare Film to THOR: RAGNAROK
The buzz around Masters of the Universe just took an interesting turn. With the latest round of test screenings now wrapped, reactions are starting to paint a clearer picture of what director Travis Knight is cooking up.
Apparently, this new take on He-Man’s world has people thinking about Thor: Ragnarok… which is either very exciting or slightly concerning depending on who you ask.
A new trailer dropped recently and longtime fans seemed pretty happy with what they saw. Now, as the film inches closer to release, another test screening has offered fresh insight into the movie’s tone and overall vibe.
According to insider Daniel Richtman, “This time reactions were a bit more mixed, tho still mostly positive. It’s described as very colourful and funny and silly with comparisons to Thor Ragnarok, for better or worse.”
It sounds like Knight isn’t aiming for a gritty fantasy epic. Instead, he’s leaning into something more playful and stylized. That actually makes sense when you consider how wild and over-the-top the original ’80s cartoon was. Translating that into live-action without it feeling ridiculous is a tough balancing act.
Comparisons to Thor: Ragnarok are interesting. Taika Waititi turned that film into a vibrant, comedic cosmic adventure that clicked with audiences and critics back in 2017. But that same tone didn’t land nearly as well in Thor: Love and Thunder, which struggled to hit the same highs.
So the real question here is whether Knight has found that sweet spot or if things tip too far into goofy territory.
For fans of He-Man, tone is everything. This is a property that’s inherently a little ridiculous, but it still needs emotional stakes to work. If the movie leans too heavily into humor, it risks losing the epic fantasy edge that makes Eternia feel like more than just a colorful playground.
Amazon MGM Studios clearly wants this to hit big. This isn’t just a one-and-done movie. The goal is to launch something much larger, potentially in the same way franchises like Transformers and Sonic the Hedgehog carved out their space with general audiences. That means appealing to both hardcore fans and people who’ve never heard of Castle Grayskull.
The story centers on Prince Adam, played by Nicholas Galitzine, who’s been separated from Eternia for 15 years. When the Sword of Power calls him back, he finds a world under the rule of Skeletor, played by Jared Leto.
To set things right, Adam teams up with Teela, played by Camila Mendes, and Man-At-Arms, played by Idris Elba, as he steps into his destiny as He-Man.
The execution of this story will make or break it. If Knight can blend humor, heart, and spectacle in a way that feels true to the source while still being accessible, this could be something really fun.
Masters of the Universe arrives on June 5, and whether it channels the magic of Ragnarok or goes its own way, it’s shaping up to be one of the more interesting wild cards of the summer movie season.