He/Him-Man: How Queer Is Masters of the Universe?

Nicholas Galitzine has proven himself with royal roles before. In the cult queer romance “Red, White and Royal Blue” (2023) he plays British Prince Henry, who falls for the son of the US president; in the historical series “Mary & George” (2024) he portrays a young aristocrat who, with the help of his scheming mother, becomes the beloved of King James I. In the new fantasy film “Masters of the Universe,” the 31-year-old Brit now embodies Prince Adam, the heir to the throne on the planet Eternia. He isn’t as openly drawn to men as his two predecessors, but his flirtations with women don’t go smoothly either — and there are plenty of queer allusions along the way.
To begin with, we meet Adam as a little boy (Artie Wilkinson-Hunt) on Eternia, who, during combat training, gives it his all but still doesn’t stand a chance against the bigger kids. When the sinister Skeletor (Jared Leto) and his monstrous hordes attack and topple the royal family, the queen (Charlotte Riley) and the court enchantress (Morena Baccarin) manage to get Adam, along with a magical sword, to safety. Through a wormhole, he somehow ends up on Earth. Unfortunately, he loses the sword on the way — his only way back to Eternia.

“Adam Glenn, He/Him”

After a brief time jump, we rejoin the adult Adam as an HR employee at a large American corporation. His name badge on his desk reads “Adam Glenn, He/Him,” and everyone treats him with the utmost sensitivity — even when layoffs loom. He loses his job because he obsesses, during work hours, about finding his sword again. Since he refuses to drop his clearly fantastical backstory about the planet Eternia, his colleagues regard him as a bit of a weirdo, and dating isn’t exactly thriving, despite his good looks.
Sometimes Adam even doubts his memories. But then he suddenly discovers the lost magical sword — in a comic book shop full of geeks. And just as he awkwardly acquires it, he’s attacked in traffic by a gigantic shaggy beast. He only escapes thanks to his old Eternia friend Teela (Camila Mendes) stepping in to save him.
The limits of dialog-driven conflict resolution
She then takes him back to Eternia aboard her spaceship, which has in recent years been controlled by Skeletor and his sorceress Evil-Lyn (Alison Brie). Adam’s parents are still alive but imprisoned in Skeletor’s dungeon. Underground, a Resistance movement has formed, and Teela’s father Duncan (Idris Elba) is a member. But the return of the young prince in his pink shirt and with his quirky habits doesn’t earn him much respect at first.

When Skeletor’s hordes strike, Adam initially tries to resolve the conflict through dialogue — not exactly a resounding success. Fortunately, his sword proves to be truly magical, and with it in hand and the right words (“I have the power!”) his muscles bulge a bit more, and his fighting prowess sharpens. But is that enough to defeat Skeletor and free his parents?

A gay icon with a lot of wink-wink humor
If Masters of the Universe took itself too seriously, the film would simply be a middling fantasy-action cliché. Fortunately, the screenwriters and director Travis Knight opted for ample irony and self‑deprecating humor, so audiences frequently leave the cinema with a sly smile. The film is peppered with double entendres about Adam’s “mighty sword” and the suggestive names of his allies Fisto and Ram Man. There’s even a slight spark of chemistry between Skeletor and Adam as the credits roll.

The muscular He-Man, conceived by Mattel as a kind of action-figure buddy for boys, rapidly became a gay icon in the 1980s thanks to the animated series—partly because of his double life (Prince Adam/He-Man) and partly because his sculpted physique embodied a gay beauty ideal, with closer ties to men than to women. Many young gay viewers apparently realized, during that era, that they were attracted to men because of He-Man on TV.

Galitzine’s next gay appearance is on the horizon

There was never a direct gay storyline, but it’s clear the filmmakers were aware of this history and are playing with it. In a typical mainstream action movie, it would be almost inevitable that Adam and Teela would develop romantic feelings for each other — here, however, the two decide that staying friends is best. Masters of the Universe doesn’t tell a directly queer tale, but it’s suggestive enough to entertain queer audiences.

And if you’ve been waiting to see more of Galitzine in gay roles, you won’t have to wait long: “Red, White & Royal Wedding,” the sequel to the 2023 success, has wrapped filming and is slated for release toward the end of 2026 or in early 2027.