Prime Video's Space Opera Is 2026's First Cult Classic, But It Deserves So Much More

Published Oct 26, 2026, 8:00 AM EDT ​​August is a freelance film writer. She studied journalism and cinema at American University. She is a member of the journalism honor society, Kappa Tau Alpha. August has written for various networks and publications, including PBS, Gargoyle Magazine, TheThings, and Identity Theory Magazine. Before returning to entertainment writing, August worked in the Automotive section of U.S. News & World Report. In her free time, August enjoys watching movies in theaters, watching movies at home, listening to podcasts about movies, reading books about movies, watching video essays on movies, talking about movies, thinking about movies, and doing crosswords. The groundswell of excitement for Travis Knight’s Masters of The Universe ended with a disappointing theatrical run that threatened to stop the promising franchise reboot in its tracks. The door to a sequel seemed firmly shut, until the flick gained traction on Prime Video. The 2026 He-Man adaptation is finally getting its flowers on streaming, meaning it could snag the follow-up it deserves. The He-Man IP launched in 1981 as a Mattel action-figure. The animated series, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, expanded on the legendary backstory of He-Man (a.k.a. Prince Adam). The show followed Prince Adam's quest to protect his home planet of Eternia from the villainous Skeletor. The franchise later took a short-lived foray onto the big screen with 1987's live-action Masters of the Universe. The potential for a He-Man cinematic universe increased this year, when MGM Amazon Studios released Masters of the Universe (2026). The modern reboot saw Nicholas Galitzine's Prince Adam return to Eternia after over a decade on Earth and reclaim his forgotten identity as He-Man. The returning hero harnessed his powers to defeat Jared Leto’s Skeletor. The high-action, high-comedy feature offers a joyride for all viewers and a wistful walk down memory lane for franchise fans. While Masters of the Universe did not achieve its mainstream ambitions at the theater, it has since amassed a loyal fanbase on Prime Video. This streaming success could reopen talks for a sequel, teased in the film’s end credits. Prime Video Is Cementing Masters Of The Universe As A True Cult Classic Master of the Universe has solidly established itself as a cult-classic on Prime Video. Amazon Studios ushered the theatrical flop onto its streaming service on July 22, over six weeks after its initial release. Though sparsely viewed in theaters, the space opera/fantasy epic collected a fast and loyal fanbase on streaming. The slow-burn hit proved that it has legs, and steadily climbed the streaming charts. Within its first week on the streamer, Knight’s reboot became the most-watched Prime Original film. It spent five consecutive weeks as Prime Video’s number one movie. Thanks to strong word of mouth, Masters of the Universe occupied a spot alongside hits such as Project Hail Mary. However, as new movies moved in and audiences moved on, the feature fell from the coveted top-ten charts (via FlixPatrol). While it seemed the flick’s moment might be passing, Master of the Universe triumphantly returned to Prime Video’s top-ten most watched movies list around October 12. This sudden resurgence, three months after its streaming debut, suggests that the movie has established a sustained cult following, willing to go back for more. This could mean big things for the franchise reboot's future. Why Masters Of The Universe Flopped At The Box Office Masters of the Universe was expected to dominate the domestic box office. This expectation was swiftly dashed following the movie's quiet opening weekend on June 3rd—during which it made just $29.4 million. By the end of its theatrical run, Masters of the Universe earned $64.8 million domestically and $113.7 million worldwide against a reported $200 million budget (via The Numbers). Failing to break even, the fantasy epic solidly flopped. Analysts don’t have a singular explanation for this misfire, as theatrical audiences can be fickle. Still, there are a few factors that may have caused Masters of the Universe to flop. 2026 was a stellar summer at the movies, and the He-Man adaptation had steep competition. Highly-anticipated blockbusters such as Disclosure Day arrived and divided the He-Man theatrical audience. The success of indie-horror Obsession a month earlier has also dampened audiences’ appetite for big-budget IP blockbusters. Several high-cost fantasy flicks flopped this summer, including The Mandalorian and Grogu and Supergirl. Further, He-Man lacks mass appeal, limiting its initial theatrical audience. The franchise never truly made it out of the 1980s, and therefore has a strong but niche fanbase. With a trailer that did little to entice the He-Man novice, Master of the Universe was always best-suited for streaming. On SVOD, younger viewers could get introduced to He-Man without incurring the increasingly high cost of a movie ticket. Mixed critical reviews further doomed the feel-good feature in theaters, with a middling 67% on Rotten Tomatoes. These days, audiences are less willing to shell out for a movie ticket unless guaranteed a great time. Masters Of The Universe Absolutely Deserves A Sequel Despite the factors working against it, Masters of the Universe has found its audience on streaming. It now appears capable of attracting a wide audience for a potential sequel. The fantasy epic is entertaining, humorous, and fun for the whole family—with a lenient PG-13 rating. The film’s lackluster theatrical showing can be partially attributed to modern audiences’ unfamiliarity with the ‘80s franchise. As viewers continue to discover and fall in love with Masters of the Universe, a sequel is more likely to succeed off the bat. The adaptation has a solid 83% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, with reviewers praising the flick's bright and charming energy. Galitzine and Leto are also praised for their magnetic performances and electric dynamic together. Not only is Masters of the Universe deserving of a sequel, it has already perfectly set up future installments. Two post-credit scenes in Masters of the Universe tease a potential sequel, and audiences need closure. One such scene introduced a mysterious second child who was sent from Eternia alongside Prince Adam—She-Ra. A follow-up would likely center on this new and thrilling character, and audiences are more than curious. The final post-credits clip sees Evil-Lynn discover Skeletor's severed head, and the villain’s distinct laughter echoes, suggesting that the iconic baddie could still return. With humor, heart, and plenty of content to work with, Masters of the Universe is a promising cinematic franchise that deserves a chance to flourish. Could Masters Of the Universe 2 Still Happen? The fate of Masters Of the Universe 2 remains unknown, but not hopeless. The film’s unexpected streaming success has turned heads and rekindled questions about a franchise follow-up. The creators have no official news, but have expressed their willingness and interest in returning for more He-Man antics. In an exclusive interview with Screen Rant's Tatiana Hullender on Knight’s latest feature, Wildwood, the director addressed the swirling questions about a Masters of the Universe follow-up. Knight noted that he is thankful for the rewarding experience of bringing this '80s franchise back to the big screen, and proud of the final product. The director is more than open to helming Masters Of the Universe 2 and remains hopeful that it could happen one day. However, Knight stressed that the decision is ultimately out of his hands, stating: “In the end, these sorts of decisions are out of our control, you always imagine where these people’s lives go after the end of the movie, and if the universe, in its wisdom, asks us to make more of these things, we would be delighted to give them more," Knight told Screen Rant. Now that the movie has found its audience, the likelihood of a sequel is better than ever. It is not unprecedented for a film to flop in theaters and still receive a follow-up. This is particularly the case for films, like Masters of the Universe, that find a strong cult following on video or streaming. Blade Runner (1982) is a major example of this phenomenon. The 1982 sci-fi tanked in theaters but, with the help of its loyal fanbase, went on to receive two follow-up feature films, three short films, and a TV series. Masters of the Universe has passed its judgment test on streaming, and has proven worthy of a franchise follow-up. The final decision, though, is up to the fates and the studio executive.