The Yorkshire Tribune can reveal that a 1980s children’s classic is being dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is set to return to our screens under the guise of They-Man and the Friends of the Unicorns.
He-Man came about after Mattel’s CEO Ray Wagner declined a deal to produce a line of action figures based on Star Wars in the mid-1970s. Mattel would have been due to pay a $750,000 licensing fee ($4 million in today’s money) up front, which scuppered the deal.
Following the original Star Wars trilogy’s unprecedented success, Mattel attempted to cash in on the growing action figure market, and He-Man was born. By the 1980s, He-Man had his own animated television series, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, and it was a roaring success. The series was shown in 37 countries and amassed nine million viewers in its first year alone.
Unfortunately, our hero’s popularity waned. His cause wasn’t helped by the abomination that was the 1987 Masters of the Universe movie. Attempts to revamp the series ultimately fell flat. Hence, Mattel is taking the iconic character in a new direction.
Cartoon Hero Has a Significant LGBTQ Following
He-Man has long been viewed as a gay icon, with his homoeroticism and implied homosexuality drawing in a gay audience when the cartoon first aired in 1983. In 2021, Men’s Health reported that gay men were one of three core groups that collect the sought-after toys at conventions alongside bodybuilders and law enforcement. His gay icon status, combined with cancel culture and the world being a more accepting place, has led to Mattel revamping Prince Adam.
“Those who grew up in the 1980s look back fondly on the He-Man television series. Like many cartoons and programmes from that era, He-Man needed bringing up to date,” explained a Mattel spokesperson. “Our market research suggested that Prince Adam would not be as widely accepted in 2025 as he was in the 80s, so we’re rebranding him as They-Man. Masters of the Universe sounds too masculine, so we’ve gone with Friends of the Unicorns instead.”
Many of the original animated series characters are set to return alongside They-Man. Orko is present and correct, although he no longer has a black face under his wizard’s hood. Duncan, aka Man-At-Arms, returns simply as Dave so as not to glorify war and violence, while They-Man’s arch-rival Skeletor has a little more meat on his bones and is known as Healthyweightor.
Prince Adam’s twin sister, Princess Adora, better known as She-Ra, will also return under the name Them-Ra.
They-Man Set for Netflix Debut
The Yorkshire Tribune believes the first episodes of They-Man and the Friends of the Unicorns are almost ready to air. American streaming giant Netflix has teamed up with Mattel to air the first season. Although no concrete date has been set, expect to see the new-look hero in the second quarter of 2025.
