Idris Elba to live the journey as Man-at-Arms Duncan in Masters of the Universe

Idris Elba has joined a building cast of Masters of the Universe, which is currently set for a June 2026 release.

Last Updated on November 25, 2024

Idris Elba is ready to live the journey, as he has been cast as Man-at-Arms aka Duncan in the upcoming live-action version of Masters of the Universe.

Idris Elba follows in the footsteps of past Duncans Alan Oppenheimer (the mid-’80s animated series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe), Jon Cypher (1987’s live-action flick with Dolph Lundgren), Liam Cunningham (Netflix’s Masters of the Universe: Revelation), and more. He will be joined in the cast by Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man, Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn and Camila Mendes as Teela.

Obviously there are still a handful of key roles that need to be cast (chiefly Skeletor – is Willem Dafoe too obvious?), but this news comes as welcome, as Idris Elba always brings top-tier work to every project he takes on – come on, the guy is crushing Knuckles right now! It’s also a bit of a surprise pick, but one that will no doubt enhance the movie.

Here is the official synopsis for Masters of the Universe: “The film will follow 10-year-old Prince Adam who crashed to Earth in a spaceship and was separated from his magical Power Sword—the only link to his home on Eternia. After tracking it down almost two decades later, Prince Adam is whisked back across space to defend his home planet against the evil forces of Skeletor. But to defeat such a powerful villain, Prince Adam will first need to uncover the mysteries of his past and become He-Man: the most powerful man in the Universe!” Bumblebee’s Travis Knight directs, while his longtime writing collaborator Chris Butler handles script duties.

Another live-action version of Masters of the Universe has been in development hell for ages now, so much to the point that it seemed like it would never come to be. But now that we’ve been hearing casting news throughout the year, we can expect Amazon-MGM to hit their target June 5th, 2026 release date – or at least somewhere around then…Personally, I think the property works better in the animated format, but if the team can stick the nostalgia then it could end up being fairly fun.

How do you feel about Idris Elba being cast in Masters of the Universe? What are you expecting from it? Chime in with your thoughts below.