Camila Mendes, who stars as Teela in Masters of the Universe, is sharing her thoughts on the upcoming 2026 film—particularly its tone, which she says strikes the right balance between humor and seriousness.
Mendes on Joining the Franchise
Speaking about why she joined the project, Mendes explained that taking on a superhero role was always on her radar. “I’ve always known I wanted to do a superhero movie at one point,” she said, also noting, “I like to work out.” But what ultimately sold her wasn’t just the genre, it was the script and execution.
“It has a sense of humor, but it also isn’t completely one big joke,” Mendes added. “They did such a good job with striking that balance, and I think people are going to really like it.”
A Balanced Tone for a New Generation
With longtime fans skeptical about how Masters of the Universe would translate to the big screen, Mendes’ comments are likely to reassure. The franchise is rooted in over-the-top characters, colorful mythology, and 1980s nostalgia, but Mendes says the film avoids falling into full-on parody.
It sounds like director Travis Knight is aiming for something more grounded—still fun, but not mocking the source material. Mendes’ praise of the “strong execution” suggests the filmmakers are threading the needle between camp and credibility.
Camila Mendes on stepping into the role of Teela for the live action ‘Masters of the Universe’ film pic.twitter.com/tSbW1WXHvt
— Deadline (@DEADLINE) October 21, 2025
Camila Mendes says she and Nicholas Galitzine trained every day for two months in London to prepare for “Masters of the Universe.” pic.twitter.com/Wv4V5xmpVk
— Variety (@Variety) October 21, 2025
Release Details
Masters of the Universe hits theaters on June 5, 2026. The film is directed by Travis Knight, with a script by Chris Butler. Producers include Bill Bannerman, Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, Robbie Brenner, and Steve Tisch. Fabian Wagner, known for Zack Snyder’s Justice League, is serving as cinematographer.
The film stars Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Adam/He-Man and Jared Leto as Skeletor. Mendes plays Teela, with Idris Elba as Man-At-Arms, Morena Baccarin as the Sorceress, and Kristen Wiig voicing Roboto. Rounding out the cast are Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson as Fisto, Jon Xue Zhang as Ram-Man, and Stephen Adentan as Moss Man.
The evil side is led by Leto’s Skeletor, with Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn, Sam C. Wilson as Trap Jaw, Kojo Attah as Tri-Klops, and Hafthor Bjornsson as Goat Man.
James Purefoy and Charlotte Riley play King Randor and Queen Marlena. New characters include Sasheer Zamata as Suzie and Christian Vunipola as Hussein.
