Following the highly anticipated world premiere of Masters of the Universe, the cast and creative team sat down to share behind-the-scenes insights into the making of the blockbuster film. From intense character preparations to terrifying on-set moments, here are five of the most interesting takeaways from the press conference.

1. Nicholas Galitzine Kept His “I Have the Power” Delivery Raw

Taking on the mantle of a pop-culture icon like He-Man comes with immense pressure, especially when delivering one of the most famous catchphrases in animation history. Nicholas Galitzine, who plays Prince Adam/He-Man, intentionally minimized his practice of the iconic line, “I have the power,” to ensure his final performance was as raw and emotionally authentic as possible.

Reflecting on the emotional weight of that filming day, Galitzine explained that he used the scene to channel years of personal and character rejection: “I remember saying that incantation, I mean, that moment is just so many moments of rejection and earning it, earning the right to say that line… I channeled it… I was thinking of every costume director who ever rejected me.”

Director Travis Knight added that witnessing the moment first-hand was an incredibly moving experience that brought him to tears: “Probably the most moving thing was the day that Nick did that famous incantation where he transforms into He-Man for the first time. And I was like, I was welling up. I was getting really emotional just because it was such an incredible thing.”

2. Brian May Rocks the Soundtrack

In a thrilling addition for rock fans and Eternia enthusiasts alike, legendary Queen guitarist Brian May lends his iconic sound to the film’s soundtrack. May is reportedly a massive He-Man fan who possesses an encyclopedic knowledge of the franchise’s characters. His sweeping collaboration with composer Daniel Pemberton elevates the movie’s auditory experience into a truly cinematic spectacle.

Director Travis Knight explained, “The music really is a character in the movie. I remember when I had my initial conversations with Daniel [Pembe] about a year and a half ago, one of the big musical touchstones for the film was the ’80s Flash Gordon movie, which I absolutely adored. That was famously scored by Queen, and there was just something fantastic, theatrical, and operatic about it.

Like all of Queen’s work, there was a real sincerity underneath everything. It was emotionally complex, it had a massive heart, and it also sounded awesome. Daniel and I talked about that, and I couldn’t have imagined that a year later, we’d be sitting in Brian May’s home studio watching him record guitar solos for our score. It was unbelievable.

The trippy thing was that I thought maybe we’d get an hour or two with Brian, but he stayed with us all day long until near midnight. At one point, he disappeared, and I thought he was just tired, but he came back 10 minutes later with two giant boxes of his son’s old He-Man toys from the attic. He knew all the characters—he was pulling out Skeletor, he knew Castle Grayskull. I could not believe that Brian May knew He-Man! It was such a trip, and truly an incredible experience. There is such a clear emotional intention behind his music. ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ is an entire arc in itself; it’s operatic.”

3. Jared Leto’s Skeletor Suit Haunted Alison Brie

Rather than relying on motion-capture or digital overlays, Jared Leto fully committed to the role of Skeletor by wearing a physical, intricately detailed villain suit on set every day. The practical look featured massive blue muscles, giant boots, a cloak, and a hood.

Alison Brie, who plays Evil-Lyn, revealed that Jared Leto’s look was deeply unsettling and that one particular character trait still gives her chills:

“He was in the full Skeletor outfit—an incredible suit with blue muscles, giant boots, a cloak, and a hood. We were looking at that every day. He also had blood on the back of his head, so we wouldn’t see it on his face, which made him look absolutely terrifying to all of us—and he really did. There’s a teeth chatter he does at one point that has actually haunted me since I saw it. It is one of the most unhinged things I’ve ever seen a character do.”

4. Idris Elba and Travis Knight Bonded Over Fatherhood to Shape Man-At-Arms

Idris Elba portrays the battle-tested Duncan (Man-At-Arms), and his onscreen relationship with his daughter, Teela (played by Camila Mendes), serves as the emotional anchor of the film. To build the foundation for this complex dynamic, Elba and director Travis Knight spent hours sharing personal stories about their own upbringing.

Elba noted that tapping into memories of their own fathers allowed them to inject real depth into a character who is traditionally just an action figure: “Travis and I met in London and had lots of talks about our dads, actually. We spoke about fatherhood a lot, and… that sort of old school machismo that lives in cowboy characters and that sort of like, not very good at my feelings type thing. And both, I think both our fathers had that sort of air to it. And so I sort of latched onto that… It gave a character that ordinarily just kicks ass a lot of depth to play with.”

The bond extended beyond the script, with Elba joking that he accidentally stepped into the paternal role off-camera as well: “By the end of it… I felt like Camila’s real dad, you know? ‘What’s up, Dad?’ I’m like, what up? You brush your teeth today? Did you eat?”

5. Practical Sets Replaced CGI, Leading to Treacherous Stunts

In an era heavily dominated by green screens, Masters of the Universe took a refreshing approach by constructing massive physical environments. The cast highly praised the practical sets for enhancing their performances, though they occasionally made action sequences a bit precarious.

The physical construction of Skeletor’s iconic “Throne of Bones” was a prime example of the production’s scale. The cast recalled that navigating the uneven, hyper-realistic structures in full costume—and sometimes while dodging massive weapons—proved to be an adrenaline-pumping experience that successfully translated into an undeniable raw energy on screen.

Masters of the Universe is playing exclusively in theaters.