How This Summer’s Movies Shift the Connection With Their Related Toys
The plan to use the animated series “Masters of the Universe” to increase sales for the already popular line of Mattel action figures was wildly successful on both ends: The show became one of the highest-rated children’s programs on TV at the time, while the toys became one of Mattel’s hottest doll lines, at one point surpassing Barbie.
The series, however, was controversial from the start. Critics groused about a show dreamed up to sell toys, while parents worried that the violence — notably high for cartoons of the era — might promote similar violence in young viewers. “If you look through the New York Times archives, you can find people writing in and saying, ‘What do we do about this ‘He-Man’ show?’” Bak said.
The related action figures were not only popular, they were legion. Mattel was able to churn out a vast army of characters — Mer-Man! Zodac! Stinkor! — thanks to inexpensive overseas production and the creation of a modular system in which nearly all of the figures shared the same arms, legs and torsos.
Those dolls had six points of articulation (action figure-speak for the joints), so children could make them look like they were running, leaping, or whacking each other with swords. In a sign of just how far these bendable toys have come, some of the fancier collectible versions produced to promote the 2026 feature film boast 30 joints.
In addition to the action figures, Mattel has also unveiled a Skeletor mask that allows children to imagine they’re the movie’s cackling, skull-faced villain. “When you put it on your face and move the jaw, it talks in Skeletor’s voice,” said Nick Karamanos, senior vice president of entertainment partnerships at Mattel.
The new film pokes good-hearted fun at the original series, like the corniness of the character names — including He-Man — and He-Man’s obsessive attachment to his Power Sword. For fans who love the sword as much as he does, there’s an electronic version that lights up, vibrates and makes swooshing sounds when you wave it around. Ostensibly, it’s intended for children 6 and older, though early excited users on TikTok primarily seemed to be men in their 30s and 40s.
