Masters of the Universe Worldwide Box Office: Can The He-Man Movie Beat Another Toy-Based Adaptation G.I. Joe: Retaliation?

Find out whether Masters of the Universe can surpass the worldwide earnings of another toy-based adaptation, G.I. Joe: Retaliation.

- June 3, 2026 | 2:49 PM IST

Masters of the Universe Worldwide Box Office(Photo Credit –Facebook)

Amazon MGM has already delivered a massive hit in 2026 with Ryan Gosling’s Project Hail Mary. The sci-fi film has grossed $678.5 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo, so far and currently ranks as the third-highest-grossing release of 2026. It will now be interesting to see how their next release, Masters of the Universe, performs at the box office. Starring Nicholas Galitzine in the lead role as Adam Glenn/He-Man, the second live-action adaptation of Mattel’s fantasy adventure franchise is set to hit U.S. theaters on June 5, 2026.

Budget & Break-Even (Estimated)

Masters of the Universe is reportedly made on a $170 million production budget. This suggests that it needs to earn around $425 million to reach its theatrical break-even point, based on the 2.5x multiplier rule. It remains to be seen if it can hit that crucial benchmark. Meanwhile, let’s take a look at how much the film would need to earn to surpass the worldwide earnings of another toy-based adaptation, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, which featured a star-studded cast including Dwayne Johnson, Bruce Willis, and Channing Tatum.

Let’s see how G.I. Joe: Retaliation performed at the box office, according to data from Box Office Mojo.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation – Box Office Summary

North America: $122.5 million
International: $253.2 million
Worldwide: $375.7 million

What These Numbers Mean for Masters of the Universe

From the above figures, it is clear that for Masters of the Universe to surpass the worldwide earnings of G.I. Joe: Retaliation, it would need to earn more than $375.7 million at the global box office. According to a recent projection by Box Office Pro, Masters of the Universe is tracking for a $30-40 million domestic opening.

There are a few challenges that the film might face at the box office. The first is that the present generation of young moviegoers may not be familiar with iconic characters like He-Man and Skeletor. They were quite popular in the 1980s, but younger audiences may not relate to them.

Another hurdle may be that Nicholas Galitzine is a relatively fresh face for global audiences and might not have the box office pull needed to deliver a blockbuster or a clean hit. It remains to be seen if he can pull off what David Corenswet did for James Gunn’s Superman.

Moreover, Masters of the Universe is also expected to face competition from Scary Movie 6, which opens on the same day, although the two films target different audiences. If the film manages to overcome these obstacles, it can cross the $375.7 million figure to surpass G.I. Joe: Retaliation.

What’s Masters of the Universe About?

The film is about how Prince Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) returns to planet Eternia after fifteen years, but is devastated to find out that his home has been destroyed under the evil rule of Skeletor (Jared Leto). He joins forces with Teela (Camila Mendes) and Duncan/Man-At-Arms (Idris Elba) to save his family and defeat the powerful enemy by becoming the most powerful man in the universe – He-Man.