The iconic Masters of the Universe villain Skeletor is getting a big-screen transformation — and it’s not one you’ll want to laugh off.
In a new interview with Empire, director Travis Knight pulls back the curtain on Jared Leto’s version of the skull-faced baddie, describing him as “the embodiment of toxic masculinity” in the upcoming Masters of the Universe reboot.
“Skeletor was a really interesting villain,” Knight explained. “He looked cool. He was scary. He was funny. He was insecure. And then of course he had this distinctive voice.”
That complex combination of traits made the classic cartoon antagonist fertile ground for Leto, who reportedly sought out the role due to a personal connection to the character.
“Jared approached us, because he loves Skeletor and has his own history with the character,” said Knight. “He wanted to swing for the fences. And ultimately we landed on something that I’m really happy with.”
While Leto is known for his method acting and extreme character dives (Suicide Squad, House of Gucci, Morbius), this version of Skeletor stays truer to his 1980s animated roots than earlier drafts of the film. Knight revealed that one earlier script featured Skeletor wearing a golden skull mask — a choice he firmly rejected.
“I said, ‘F-ck that sh-t. Skeletor has a skull face,’” Knight declared. “That’s just the way it is. It’s a living, talking, emoting skull, and that’s that.”
Back to the Roots of Evil
Knight emphasized that the movie’s tone plays Skeletor straight — a faithful recreation with all the exaggerated theatrics and psychological baggage that made him a standout villain in pop culture.
From “cackling skull in a big purple hood” to “funny and insecure,” Leto’s Skeletor sounds less like a simple power-hungry bad guy and more like a twisted mirror of He-Man’s cartoonish heroism. Knight’s use of the term “toxic masculinity” frames Skeletor not only as a literal villain, but as a thematic one — a character whose flaws and need for dominance are part of what make him dangerous and compelling.
With Knight at the helm and Leto seemingly all-in on the role, Masters of the Universe could offer something more than just nostalgic fan service. If it works, it might just give Skeletor the cinematic credibility he’s long been denied.
