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He-Man and the Masters of the Universe was released on June 5 and has failed to break even with its poor box office performance. Starring Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, Jared Leto, and Idris Elba in titular roles, the film opened to $54.3 million globally, while earning $29.3 million domestically and $25 million internationally. These numbers are very small compared to the film’s reported budget of $170-$200 million. The next few weeks will be crucial for the film to turn things around at the box office.
While He-Man may not be raking in big numbers right now, what’s enjoyable about it is the pure nostalgia it offers to die-hard fans of the superhero. Filled with several easter eggs, the film pays a special homage to the original franchise, reminding fans of the earlier days when heroic tales of He-Man were found in their comic books and on their television sets. The film tells the story of Prince Adam, the son of King Randor, who must find the Sword of Power and transform into He-Man to reclaim his homeland, Eternia, from Skeletor and his army.
Here are the major easter eggs from the film that you may have missed:
1. Cringer Makes An Appearance In The MGM Logo
As frequent movie-goers may already know, the MGM logo is famous for its Mascot- Leo The Lion- who roars for a few seconds before the beginning of the film. However, in He-Man, the Lion was replaced by the green tiger Cringer, who is the superhero’s battle companion. Also known as “Battle Cat,” Cringer is seen roaring in a similar fashion to Leo in the opening credits. How cool is that, right?
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2. Comic Book Store Named The Fright Zone
In the film, Prince Adam is seen visiting the comic book store named “Fright Zone” to find his sword of power that he had lost while entering Earth from Eternia. The name of the store is a very clever homage to He-Man’s sister She-Ra. In the earlier franchise, She-Ra battles a villain named Hordak, who actually operates out of a dark and creepy metropolis called the Fright Zone!
3. Dolph Lundgren Pays Homage To The Original He-Man Movie
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Adam is working out at the gym when he runs into Dolph Lundergren, the original He-Man in the 1987 Masters of the Universe movie. The actor is seen giving Adam important advice, not before saying, “Good Journey Kid!” This isn’t just a mere farewell but rather a special one, as it pays homage to the original 1987 movie, which featured the same phrase!
4. Non Blondes “What’s Up?”
In 2010, YouTube account ProtoOfSnagem posted a viral video, which was originally created in 2005 by the Slackcircus animation collective, as reported by CNET. The video featured clips from the original series in the 80s, showing He-Man grooving to the famous song “What’s Up?” by 4 Non Blondes. Director Travis Knight didn’t miss the opportunity to include the reference in the 2026 film, which has now emerged as one of the most significant easter eggs from the film.
The new movie shows Prince Adam and his army being invaded by Villain Skeletor, who sends his faithful servants to take over planet Earth. In a hilarious moment, Prince Adam is seen uttering the words “What’s going on,” which are actually the lyrics of the original song. More importantly, the track even plays as a background score during this scene!
5. Adam’s Pink Shirt Pays Homage To Original He-Man’s pink vest
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Before becoming He-Man, Adam is seen wearing a pink shirt in all the scenes. This isn’t just a coincidence but a strategic move by the filmmakers to pay homage to the original franchise, where the protagonist is seen wearing a pink vest as well!
6. Orko’s Appearance Is A Nod To The Original Cartoon Character
The film has several mid- and end-credit scenes that feature major easter eggs. Amongst them is the appearance of the red-robed wizard Orko, a character from the original cartoon. Orko is seen telling us all the lessons that Prince Adam learned from his journey. The wizard’s appearance is a reference to the original cartoon, which always had a lesson for viewers at the end of the story. Orko was added to appease all the parents, networks, and other critics who opposed the idea of an entire TV show about the superhero just to sell toys from the franchise. However, the ‘lessons learned’ angle worked, as it added credibility to the franchise, helping parents feel their children could learn something valuable from the show.
7. Evil-Lyn Retrieves Skeletor’s Severed Head
In the final post-credits scene, we see Evil-Lyn retrieving Skeletor’s severed head, hinting that he is still alive. This is an homage to the original film, where we learn of Skeletor’s existence in the post-credit scene as well.
With Skeletor still alive and Adam and Teela stuck in the “friendship” zone due to She-Ra’s appearance, He-Man and the Masters of The Universe have given fans major hints that the 2026 franchise is here to stay. Will it sustain itself over the years like the MCU and DC? Well, time will tell!
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