2021 has been a great year for He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. We’ve been treated to ‘Masters of the Universe: Revelations’ early this year from Executive Producer Kevin Smith but now, the franchise prepares to reintroduce itself to a whole new audience.
Earlier this July, ‘Masters of the Universe: Revelations’ continued to tell the epic story of Prince Adam, Teela, Man-At-Arms, and of course, Skeletor. The series is a sequel to the original animated series, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, which aired from 1983 – 1985. Filmmaker and fan of the franchise, Kevin Smith served as the show’s Executive Producer and was developed for television by Rob David, who is getting to live out his childhood dream and introduce his favorite superhero to a whole new generation.
We at The Illuminerdi were lucky enough to chat with Executive Producer, Rob David for the 2021 version of ‘He-Man and the Masters of the Universe’ series which makes its debut on Netflix on September 16, 2021.
RELATED: ETERNALS STAR LAUREN RIDLOFF TEASES MAKKARI’S INTRIGUING LIVE-ACTION CHANGES FOR THE MCU
The Illuminerdi: Earlier this year, I got to relive my childhood with ‘Masters of the Universe: Revelations’, and now my kid gets to get their own version via Netflix project, ‘He-Man and the Masters of the Universe’. Rob, I know you’ve been preparing for this moment your whole life, to tell this story. Can you talk to me about what it’s like introducing your childhood hero to a whole new generation?
Rob David: Well, it’s a huge responsibility, a huge opportunity, a huge joy. I mean, this has really been my personal passion project for so long and it could not have happened better, with a greater group of teammates to bring this about, but really… I have two kids, right. And I’m having that kind of the whole circle of life moment where I am seeing them get to experience the stuff that I love for the first time. And that’s an awesome responsibility.
And the biggest thing is to not… And I know this as a parent too, don’t just give them exactly… Don’t say “Here, this is my thing. And I’ll let you play with it.” Allow them to discover it, allow them to have confidence in what truly makes it what it is, but allow it for them to discover it and play with it on their terms, in ways that are relevant to them and aspirational to them.
So the biggest thing to do here is just to take what we love about ‘Masters of the Universe’, really what we truly love about it, and then distill it to the core DNA. What are the things that are core about it, and then take those things and then re-imagine them and reshuffle them in a way that’s completely vibrant and relevant to kids growing up right now?
RELATED: CREATOR SOFIA ALEXANDER OF ‘ONYX EQUINOX’ JOINS NEW UNKNOWN MARVEL STUDIOS PROJECT
Why Should Long Time ‘He-Man and the Masters of the Universe’ Fans Get Excited About This Series
Long-time Masters of the Universe, fear not. Rob David has something in store for you guys too. I mean, as we said earlier, this Rob has been preparing for this show his whole life. Here’s why the Executive Producer thinks the show will appeal to the He-Man faithful.
Rob, for long-time Masters of the Universe fans out there, they just had a taste of Revelations, which I couldn’t stop raving about. But what should excite them about this retelling of ‘He-Man and the Masters of the Universe‘?
Rob David: Well, I think they’re going to have, hopefully, an amazing experience watching this with their kids or just on their own if they’re kids at heart. For me, the only way… The great way to look at Masters of the Universe, is that it’s really a multi-verse and that both these series, as well as the original Filmation cartoon, as well as the mini-comics, as well as shows that haven’t even come out yet, that will come out in 15 years from now.
They all exist, co-exist equally in the multi-verse that is Masters of the Universe. So I think knowing that a fan of the original can sit down and say, “Hey, this show, at its core is so Masters of the Universe,” I’m telling you right now, it was very important to me that every part of this resonates with Masters in a different way.
And even if things change, to move things around, so that it’s truly at its core Masters, but completely all-new, completely fresh. So if you’re an old-time fan, you might enjoy this kind of dual experience where you’re like, “Oh my God, they’re doing this thing. Oh my God, they’re doing this. They’re going to talk about Keldor. They’re doing this, they’re talking about this.” But at the same time that “I don’t have any idea where it’s going to go next.” If you’re an old-time fan, this is kind of being five again.
RELATED: WHAT IF…?: MID-SEASON SNEAK PEEK TRAILER REVEALS EVEN MORE MIND-BLOWING SCENARIOS
Netflix’s and Mattel Studios ‘He-Man and the Masters of the Universe’ is the perfect gateway for long-time He-Man fans to introduce Prince Adam, Teela, and Cringer to a whole new generation. Here’s the official synopsis below:
On Eternia, the first planet of creation, a demonic tyrant rises: Skeletor! With dark armies at his command, Skeletor is on the march, hell-bent on capturing Eternia’s kingdoms, and its ultimate prize – Castle Grayskull, the ancient fortress of mystery said to contain the greatest power in the universe. It’s up to He-Man and his brave squad of rookie heroes to stop Skeletor and restore the peace. Both sides come armed with enchanted Power Weapons – transforming them into Masters of the Primal Powers of the Universe. It’s Master vs. Dark Master, He-Man vs. Skeletor – fighting for control of Eternia, Castle Grayskull, and the fate of us all. In the end, who will become MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE?
‘He-Man and the Masters of the Universe’ streams on Netflix September 16, 2021. Are you guys excited for a brand new version of Prince Adam and He-Man? Let us know on Twitter or in the comments below.
READ MORE: SHE-RA: NEW LIVE-ACTION SERIES BEING DEVELOPED BY AMAZON
