Empire April 2026

Rippling abs. A gigantic sword. The bowl-cut to end all bowl-cuts. Right from his very first introduction on toy shelves in the early 1980s, He-Man has had it all. Except for a mega-smash movie. While the cartoons were a cornerstone of millions of childhoods around the world, a 1987 attempt to adapt them for the big screen proved not to have the power. The toys were boxed. Until now. Director Travis Knight is heading straight to the heart of Castle Grayskull for a new take on Masters Of The Universe, one that fully embraces the original material in a big, barmy blockbuster. The Power Sword is about to be lifted once more. Eternia awaits.

The new issue of Empire takes a world-exclusive deep-dive into Knight’s Masters Of The Universe, going on set to explore how the Laika legend is bringing the toys to life. Inside, the filmmaker opens up on staying true to the spirit of the cartoons, and anchoring He-Man and his bone-headed nemesis Skeletor in contemporary concerns. Plus, we speak to He-Man himself, Nicholas Galitzine, about taking on the ‘80s most pumped-up hero; Idris Elba about his affection for the original figurines; Camila Mendes about bringing Teela into a more modern world; and the film’s crew about rendering Eternia in full scale. Plus, it’s packed with brand new images and concept art – the ultimate early peek at this summer’s most playful blockbuster.

And that’s not all! Also inside, we get the first word on Avengers: Doomsday from the Russo brothers; head into the blood-soaked hospital wards of The Pitt; take a stab at Scream 7 with director Kevin Williamson; explore the comeback of The Comeback with Lisa Kudrow; sit down with James McAvoy for a major new career-spanning interview; and explore the seismic return of Miss Piggy. You won’t want to miss it. Hop on your Battle Ram and order yours today.