Mattel Dusts Off He-Man Toys in Hopes Lightning Strikes Twice After ‘Barbie’

Mattel is officially back in its nostalgia era, and this time it’s flexing.

The toy giant just unveiled a brand-new lineup of He-Man action figures ahead of its upcoming live-action Masters of the Universe movie, clearly hoping to bottle whatever magic turned Barbie into a billion-dollar cultural event.

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And honestly? Respect the confidence.

After Barbie made more than $1.4 billion worldwide and even snagged an Oscar, Mattel is feeling bold. The company currently has more than a dozen movies in development as it tries to turn your childhood toy box into a full cinematic universe. Consider this Phase One: Muscles and Capes.

Barbie Walked So He-Man Could Bench Press

Masters of the Universe marks Mattel’s second major theatrical swing following Barbie, and expectations are… high. Very high. Like Castle Grayskull on a mountaintop high.

The hype train started rolling last week when the film’s first teaser trailer dropped, quickly racking up over 30 million YouTube views, proving that millennials will absolutely show up for anything that reminds them of Saturday mornings and sugary cereal.

Toys First, Movie Later

The new action figures, featuring He-Man, Skeletor, and Evil-Lyn, will retail for about $25 and hit shelves globally in April, roughly two months before the movie lands in theatres.

Translation: you’ll be emotionally manipulated into buying the toys before you even know if the movie’s good.

Classic move.

The Cast Is Stacked (Literally and Figuratively)

The film stars Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man, with Jared Leto taking on the role of Skeletor, which somehow feels inevitable. The cast also includes Idris Elba, Alison Brie, and Camila Mendes, because if you’re rebooting an ’80s franchise, you might as well go big.

The Bottom Line

Mattel is betting hard that nostalgia plus shiny new toys equals another cultural takeover. Will Masters of the Universe reach Barbie-level domination?

Who knows. But one thing’s certain: your inner child is already reaching for their credit card… and whispering, “By the power of Greyskull, I deserve this.”