'He-Man' reboot trailer divides fans as iconic character's alter ego depicted as office drone
A new reboot of the "Masters of the Universe" franchise is drawing backlash after a teaser trailer appears to reimagine the muscular hero He-Man as a modern corporate employee before he returns to Eternia.
The trailer, released by Amazon MGM Studios and Mattel Studios on Thursday, surpassed 15 million views on YouTube in the first two days. The release has sparked debate across social media, with critics arguing Hollywood is changing a traditionally masculine icon to reflect modern workplace culture, while others say it may be a satirical dig at political correctness.
He-Man, played by actor Nicholas Galitzine in the new trailer, is the central character in the long-running "Masters of the Universe" franchise. Since premiering in the early 1980s, He-Man has become an icon of masculinity defined by physical strength and moral righteousness.
In the new trailer, the reboot introduces He-Man’s origin story before quickly cutting to the character sitting in a cubicle at a corporate office. His desk features a nameplate reading "Adam Glenn," the character’s alter ego, along with a pronoun display reading "He/Him."
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The character’s boss then chides him, saying, "This obsession with nerd stuff and sword things, it's not a good look for human resources." In the trailer, he is seen being reunited with the iconic Power Sword and returning to Eternia, eventually doing battle with chief series antagonist Skeletor.
Amazon News said the film follows Adam as he joins his closest allies to "embrace his true destiny as He-Man – the most powerful man in the universe."
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Fans online appear split on whether the portrayal is an intentional satire of modern workplace culture or another example of Hollywood normalizing progressive norms within traditionally masculine franchises.
"Now they're making a Masters of the Universe and giving He-man pronouns. These people won't stop until they ruin everything," one user wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Another commenter argued critics were missing the point, suggesting the trailer was intentionally mocking modern workplace culture, "He ESCAPES from this overbearing world to where he belongs: In a high T adventure. This could be a movie telling men to be men again. Don’t knock it until it you see it."
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Other users echoed that sentiment, saying the scene appeared to take a "dig at Human Resources," leaving them "cautiously optimistic" about the film.
Similar debates have played out across Hollywood as studios revisit legacy franchises and remake them for modern audiences. The latest installment in the "Star Trek" franchise has drawn online criticism from fans in recent days, with some arguing the series has gone "woke."
Actress and cast member Gina Yashere defended "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" during an appearance on CNN, saying the franchise has been "woke from day one."
Amazon MGM and Mattel Studios didn't immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.