Idris Elba isn’t a stranger to taking out-there roles. He’s played an evil cyborg named Brixton in Fast & Furious spin-off Hobbs & Shaw, battled a giant cosmic starfish as Bloodsport in The Suicide Squad – and now, he’s donning a metal helmet (and a fetching moustache) to play Man-At-Arms in Masters Of The Universe. In the original cartoons, based on Mattel’s hit toy line, he’s the ‘Man Of Weapons’, the military master of Eternia’s royal palace – with a very signature look.
For Elba, getting to play the warrior was a chance to reconnect with his youth. “It’s a really big part of my childhood,” he tells Empire of his Masters Of The Universe fandom. Safe to say, he had the original figures. “My parents couldn’t afford the Star Wars toys, and the He-Man toys were cheaper, because it wasn’t as big. So I had He-Man, She-Ra, Battle Cat…” And, of course, the original series was on heavy rotation. “The cartoons were always a little bit more fun, a bit more camp, a bit more out-there,” he remembers.
When Elba learned that director Travis Knight was embracing the toy-and-cartoon core of Masters Of The Universe in his film, the actor was all aboard. “Travis, who’s an incredible director, wanted to pay homage to the aesthetic of the original. I was all for that,” he says. “Though it made me think, ‘Shit, I’ve gotta get into the gym!’” With giant Eternia sets, and so many of the figures brought to physical life, the production proved to be the ultimate Masters Of The Universe wish fulfilment. “It was like being at a big amusement arcade with all these massive characters,” Elba says. Who’s ready to play?
Read Empire’s full Masters Of The Universe feature – going on set with director Travis Knight and his cast – in the April 2026 issue, on sale Thursday February 12. Pre-order a copy online here. Masters Of The Universe comes to UK cinemas from June 5.
