Former He-Man Star Dolph Lundgren Confirms Appearance In New Masters Of The Universe Movie

Dolph Lundgren is coming back to the Masters of the Universe franchise.

While Nicholas Galitzine leads the 2026 Masters of the Universe cast as Prince Adam Glenn/He-Man, Lundgren previously portrayed He-Man in the franchise’s 1987 live-action movie. In June 2025, Lundgren was asked about whether he would appear in the new adaptation, to which he gave a cryptic response of “It’s a bit of a secret, but I can’t say much. But yeah, maybe I’ll get involved somehow. We’ll see.”

During the Masters of the Universe red carpet premiere, Lundgren was asked by Variety if he is in the movie and shared the following in a now-deleted video: “I’m in it. I have a small role. At some point in the movie, when he needs some crucial advice, I show up, and I give it to him when he needs it the most. It was surreal working on it because… it was like talking to a younger version of myself.”

In a fitting moment of passing the torch, Lundgren sounds as though he is playing a mentor figure, if only briefly, to Galitzine’s version of He-Man. The appearance is sure to please longtime fans of the franchise, bringing the only two actors who have played He-Man in live action together not just for the sake of it, but for a moment to meaningfully further the story and give Adam some important advice on his heroic journey.

The franchise’s live-action movie hiatus from 1987 to 2026 is due to the latest iteration being stuck in development for decades. Many different versions began to take shape but did not materialize, until this one from Amazon MGM Studios, which is directed by Travis Knight and with a script written by Chris Butler, Aaron Nee, Adam Nee, and David Callaham.

Along with Galitzine as Prince Adam/He-Man and Lundgren in his now confirmed small role, the actors bringing Masters of the Universe‘s story to life are Camilda Mendes as Teela, Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn, Idris Elba as Duncan/Man-At-Arms, Morena Baccarin as the Sorceress, James Purefoy as King Randor, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson as Malcolm/Fisto, Kristin Wiig as Roboto, Charlotte Riley as Queen Marlena, Sasheer Zamata as Suzie, and Kojo Attah as Tri-Klops.

The franchise originally began as a Mattel toy line of action figures in the 1980s. Since then, there have been many animated He-Man shows, with 1983’s He-Man and the Masters of the Universe widely regarded as the best. There has also been The New Adventures of He-Man, She-Ra: Princess of Power, He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword, Masters of the Universe: Revelation, and Masters of the Universe: Revolution.

Outside of playing in 1987’s Masters of the Universe, Lundgren is known for his roles as Ivan Drago in Rocky IV and Creed II, Frank Castle in 1989’s The Punisher movie, Sergeant Andrew Scott in the Universal Soldier movies, Gunner Jensen in The Expendables, and Nereus in Aquaman.

Masters of the Universe releases in theaters on June 5.