Skeletor is now being described as “the embodiment of toxic masculinity” in Masters of the Universe, according to director Travis Knight.
Knight says Jared Leto “wanted to swing for the fences” with the iconic villain, adding that the final take is something he’s “really happy with.” These comments come courtesy of an interview in Empire magazine, which also revealed that Masters of the Universe will grace the magazine’s April cover.
And as you’d expect, that quote alone has already sparked some fierce blowback.
A lot of fans immediately bristled at the idea that “wokeness” (yes, that word) is being injected into the film. It’s been a sore subject in the He-Man fanbase for a while now, especially after many accused Kevin Smith of doing exactly that with Netflix’s animated revival. Personally, I didn’t think the first season was bad at all. The second season? Not so much. But the reality is this: the original 1980s concept, as much as we love it, doesn’t fully work anymore. It’s not 1984. And pretending otherwise isn’t exactly honest.
That’s what makes these comments interesting—and potentially risky. Do they actually hurt the Masters of the Universe release? Or does any of this even matter?
Because let’s be honest about the audience. The over-40 crowd is almost certainly the biggest money-maker here. But are they bringing their kids? And do those kids even care?
The toy aisle doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. A lot of Masters of the Universe figures released over the last five years are now heavily discounted. Many Walmart and Target locations have phased them out altogether. You can find Leech at Ross for $4.99—and that should tell you something.
At the same time, people like me still genuinely enjoy the Origins line. I proudly display my collection on the wall. But I’m also aware that I’m in the older demographic now. My son doesn’t seem especially interested in He-Man. He might humor me and go see the movie, but when he watched the trailer, he wasn’t exactly blown away.
Fans also noticed the “he/him” pronouns on the desk during the trailer, which added fuel to the fire. Now, paired with this idea that Skeletor represents toxic masculinity, it’s caused even more debate.
And here’s where I really start scratching my head.
Skeletor… wasn’t toxic. Not really. If anything, he was often portrayed as a clumsy, overconfident boob who could never quite get anything right. There’s even that infamous Christmas special where he becomes a weepy-eyed skeleton at the sight of a scared puppy. That’s not exactly the poster child for hyper-masculine menace.
Yes, the movie version clearly takes him in a darker direction, and the recent animated series gave him more ferocity. But “the embodiment of toxic masculinity”? That feels like a stretch.
There’s also another bizarre part of the quote—the suggestion that Jared Leto has some kind of “history” with the character. What does that even mean? He’s never played Skeletor. Maybe he watched He-Man as a kid. Maybe he had the action figure. So did millions of other people. Skeletor isn’t a real person with a shared backstory—he’s fictional.
And anyone who’s actually an avid He-Man fan knows this: if you’re looking for the true embodiment of toxicity in that universe, it’s not Skeletor at all.
It’s Hordak.
The real tyrant. The real abuser. The real embodiment of control, domination, and cruelty.
So if the film wants to explore darker themes, fine. If it wants to modernize the mythology, also fine. But mislabeling the characters we’ve known for decades is where the disconnect starts—and where fans start wondering who this movie is really for.
