Masters of the Universe San Diego Comic-Con Exclusives Revealed

The defender of the secrets and techniques of Castle Grayskull isn’t He-Man, at the least not at the moment. That honor at present goes to PJ Lewis, who’s been main the Masters of the Universe franchise into a number of toylines and animated collection over the previous few years. He-Man is presumably taking a well-deserved break for his fortieth birthday, which can be celebrated at this 12 months’s San Diego Comic-Con. Still, io9 managed to attain the announcement of the Masters of the Universe con exclusives—a two-pack of essentially the most extremely articulated MotU figures Mattel has ever made, and a enjoyable Grayskull Mega Construx set—and be taught a few of what the corporate has deliberate for He-Man, each at Comic-Con and the longer term.

Rob Bricken, io9: Because you’ve been form sufficient to let io9 debut it, let’s speak in regards to the San Diego Comic-Con Masters of the Universe motion determine two-pack.

PJ Lewis: Comic-Con for us is all the time about delivering nice fan moments. It’s why we’ve been delivering the 12 Days of Fandom [announcing our Comic-Con exclusive toys] throughout a lot of our manufacturers and in partnership with Mattel Creations, our direct-to-consumer website. The two-pack is all about bringing the historical past of Masters of the Universe collectively in a celebratory method.

It showcases how we’re bringing He-Man and Skeletor to our Masterverse toyline, which is our fashionable interpretation of the characters. It’s in what I believe is among the greatest displays that we’ve had the chance to convey to the followers, together with 30 factors of articulation and genuine styling, and the element and authenticity for collectors that we ship. I believe to rejoice the fortieth anniversary of Masters of the Universe, it’s going to actually ship and seize hearts and minds throughout Comic-Con. [Ed’s note: The two-pack and construction set will both be available at Comic-Con, but also on Mattel Creations on July 20 at 5 p.m. Direct hyperlinks, which can go reside at the moment: He-Man here, and He-Man vs. Skeletor here.]

io9: So far, the Masterverse line has drawn solely from Kevin Smith’s MotU: Revelation collection, however these figures are undoubtedly new—particularly with all that articulation. Does this imply Masterverse goes to increase past the animated collection?

Lewis: This is a good query. The Masterverse’s fashionable reinterpretation of MotU, actually of character and sculpt, was anchored by Kevin Smith’s telling of Revelation—it was [the toyline’s] first kind of sub-flavor, if you’ll. At Comic-Con, we’re going to showcase many extra ways in which our followers can have a look at Masterverse as the longer term—how we’re going to convey completely different retellings and completely different iconic appears of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe for the way forward for our collector motion determine choices. We are simply getting began with Masterverse.

io9: It feels like the road might theoretically embrace new variations of, say, the fan-favorite character designs from the 2002 reboot of Masters of the Universe, or possibly The New Adventures of He-Man cartoon.

Lewis: Rob, keep tuned for extra. Let’s simply say we actually have detailed plans to increase Masterverse into 2023 and 2024 and past. As for one thing extra particular, as a few of our giant format motion figures soar, we’re additionally going to be introducing a selected playset that anchors the road which goes to be fairly enjoyable. You’ll see extra on that at Comic-Con, I hope.

io9: Well, talking of Comic-Con, you have got the first-ever Masters of the Universe panel in Hall H—the very, very giant room that hosts the most important panels, like Marvel Studios. That’s an enormous deal on a number of ranges.

Lewis: Yeah, it’s an excellent level-up for the model. We’ve been licensees on manufacturers which have had Hall H panels prior to now, and I’ve been to some of these, however to really have a Hall H panel on He-Man… it’s going to be an enormous deal. Dolph Lundgren goes to be on our panel and Kevin Smith is moderating it. It’s in Hall H. And I can’t inform you who the particular visitor is, however they’re going to blow your socks off once they’re revealed.

io9: Wait. You’re going to have Dolph Lundgren, star of the 1987 Masters of the Universe film, on the panel and he’s not going to be the key particular visitor?

Lewis: You’re going to lose your thoughts while you see who it’s.

io9: Okay then. What else can followers count on on the panel?

Lewis: This fortieth anniversary is a good second for us to remind followers and rejoice the [franchise’s] historical past. I believe you’ll get a way of how we [at Mattel] are serious about He-Man, the storytelling, the historical past, and the place we’re going with Masters of the Universe, in order that’s going to be enjoyable. It is totally our aspiration to proceed to ship increasingly more from Masters of the Universe—every thing from the work that we did on Netflix to our Roblox partnership, which is telling Masters of the Universe tales and introducing the characters to this new age in a brand new method, in addition to the Cryptoid partnership we simply introduced.

So you realize the franchise is providing a ton for followers of all ages. And that is the first step to us delivering extra and hopefully extra leisure that we will all take pleasure in collectively. As we take into consideration “MOTUesdays” and we take into consideration our alternative to do extra by means of this fall, you’ll hear extra about what we’re doing.

io9: MOTUesdays? Will these be weekly bulletins of latest merchandise or TV present data?

Lewis: Correct. It’s a method for followers to interact, a weekly factor that begins at Comic-Con primarily and is admittedly going right through October 12 which, in case you didn’t know, is He-Man’s birthday, and we’re going to do some occasions. But I believe [MOTUesdays] will reply a number of the questions you have got in regards to the longevity of the determine traces, and the way we’re going to convey extra into the determine traces right here. We can be saying extra on what we’re doing across the new present and extra ways in which we will lengthen Masterverse. There’s quite a bit to return.

io9: Between the 2 new animated collection and three toylines, together with the retro MotU Origins and kid-friendly toys based mostly on the Netflix children present, it already looks like He-Man has entered a little bit of a Golden Age.

Lewis: Well, sure… but when it’s a Golden Age, that’s only a reliving of He-Man’s historical past, proper? We have extra deliberate than that.

io9: The He-Man and the Masters of the Universe collection is introducing the 40-year-old franchise to fashionable children. What do you suppose the enchantment of He-Man is, all these years later?

Lewis: I believe there are all the time tales and components to the model that may all the time join, and there’s a goal [where kids learn] who we will aspire to be and pursue one of the best variations of ourselves. He-Man has all the time served as somebody who conjures up that, and that’s a bit and a cornerstone to the collection’ fashionable storytelling. I believe there’s loads of alternative to inform these tales to override a wide range of audiences and it’s attention-grabbing to look at that join with them. Plus, they all the time say heroes are solely pretty much as good as their villains and you’ve got an excellent villain in Skeletor as nicely. I believe that [story of] good-versus-evil connects at the moment.

The present additionally has much more versatility than maybe different manufacturers which can be form of telling the identical tales. Each time you tuned into the [classic cartoon], there was a unique forged of characters and I believe that was a part of the enchantment to the girls and boys that have been watching it again in its heyday, within the ‘80s, right?

io9: It’s attention-grabbing how although Masters of the Universe has had comparatively fewer reveals and films and toys as one thing like Transformers, He-Man looks like he looms bigger in popular culture.

Lewis: You know, it’s so humorous after we discuss He-Man as half of popular culture as a result of he has an id in popular culture. Skeletor has an id in popular culture. We have been a part of a Super Bowl industrial with Rocket Mortgage and it was voted the primary industrial by USA Today. That’s simply such a testomony to how these characters hook up with folks, particularly He-Man and Skeletor.

Masters of the Universe is a very attention-grabbing model as a result of the characters themselves have develop into such an enormous half of popular culture. They have transcended the model, to a point. It’s completely different than different manufacturers that I keep in mind have been on my bed room ground as a child, whether or not it’s G.I. Joe and even Transformers.

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