Nicholas Galitzine Almost Sported He-Man’s Classic Bob in MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE and There’s a Good Reason It Didn’t Happen

Fans have been eager to see how Masters of the Universe would translate to live-action, especially when it comes to bringing one of pop culture’s most recognizable heroes to the big screen.

With Nicholas Galitzine stepping into the role of Adam/He-Man for director Travis Knight’s upcoming adaptation, plenty of attention has been placed on everything from his physical transformation to the character’s iconic look.

As it turns out, one classic He-Man feature nearly made the jump from animation to live-action… that unmistakable blonde bob haircut.

Following the massive success of Barbie, Mattel is continuing its push into theatrical storytelling with Masters of the Universe, and Galitzine has undergone a serious transformation to embody Eternia’s legendary champion.

While fans have already seen glimpses of his version of He-Man, some may have noticed that his hairstyle isn’t a direct recreation of the cartoon character’s famous cut.

Speaking with CinemaBlend ahead of the film’s release, Galitzine explained that the creative team spent plenty of time discussing He-Man’s hair before ultimately deciding to take a different approach.

“I mean, look, we obviously talked about hair a lot. He-Man's bob is obviously very iconic, but in a live-action setting in this story that we wanted to tell, it kind of it didn't make as much sense.

“So the thing that I certainly had in mind was something that felt a little Herculean. Sort of heroic in a way, but also something that we could kind of evolve.”

It’s easy to understand the reasoning. While the animated series embraced a larger-than-life aesthetic, recreating the exact hairstyle in a live-action fantasy adventure may have pushed things a little too far into cartoon territory.

Galitzine still sports long blond hair as He-Man, but the style feels more grounded while maintaining the spirit of the character.

The hairstyle also became part of Adam’s overall journey in the film. Rather than giving him the same look from start to finish, the filmmakers built visual progression into the character’s transformation.

Galitzine continued: “Because obviously when we meet Adam on Earth, the hairs a little greasier, it's a little flatter. It's got it's got a little less life in it. And so, we decided to kind of create this evolution to, to, I guess mimic, Adam's, growing sense of power and self.”

That approach seems to fit the movie’s version of Adam, whose growth into He-Man is reflected not only through his increasing strength but also through subtle changes in his appearance.

According to early reactions, the evolution works well on screen, helping sell the character’s journey from an ordinary young man on Earth to the powerful hero destined to wield the Sword of Power.

One of the more interesting aspects of Masters of the Universe has been seeing how familiar characters have been adapted for live-action. Some designs have been adjusted for practicality, while others remain surprisingly faithful to their animated counterparts.

Teela’s costume, for example, has been updated with a less revealing design, while He-Man retains much of the visual identity fans associate with the classic character, just with a haircut that feels a little more natural in a live-action setting.

Whether audiences embrace all of those changes remains to be seen, but it sounds like the filmmakers put a lot of thought into balancing nostalgia with realism.

Fans won’t have to wait much longer to judge the results for themselves. Masters of the Universe arrives in theaters on June 5, 2026.