Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Masters of the Universe (2026)
While I was never a huge fan of the 80s franchise growing up, I absolutely loved Masters of the Universe for the same reasons I loved James Gunn’s Superman last year. There are plenty of superheroes, sci-fi, and fantasy movies that have gone for darker, more “grounded” tones and aesthetics. However, that is very much not the case for Masters of the Universe nor Superman (and I couldn’t be happier about it).
Despite belonging to entirely different franchises, both Masters of the Universe and Superman were built upon very similar themes and messages. Both feature impossibly powerful protagonists with Nicholas Galitzine’s Prince Adam and David Corenswet’s Kal-El. However, neither of their greatest strengths comes from the immense power at their disposal.
The more I think about it, the more I do not doubt that these latest versions of Superman and He-Man would be best friends. Defined by hope and unwavering optimism, it’s pretty cool to see how both heroes operate from what are essentially the same foundations.
Hopecore: 2025’s Superman and 2026’s Masters of the Universe Are Part Of A Growing Blockbuster Subgenre
In the last couple of years, the internet has coined the term “hopecore”, used to describe uplifting videos, inspiring stories, and content centered around overall optimism. At its core, hopecore is a celebration of kindness, perseverance, empathy, genuine human connection, and pure joy. That is something we’re starting to see in more recent movies, especially with films like Superman and Masters of the Universe.
My favorite shared element between both of these major franchise films is how fully they embrace the idea that being a good person is actually pretty cool. Sincerity and empathy can often be portrayed as outdated, though that’s not the case with either movie. In Superman, Clark Kent suggests that “maybe kindness/goodness is the real punk rock.” That’s an idea saturated in both major blockbusters.
Before he was Clark Kent, Superman was born Kal-El on a distant planet doomed to destruction. His parents Jor-El and Lara placed him in a rocket ship as an infant, sending him across the cosmos to Earth. What is the name of Superman’s home planet?
✓ Correct! Krypton was a scientifically advanced planet that exploded due to its unstable core. Jor-El, Superman’s father, was the only scientist who foresaw the catastrophe and managed to save his son by launching him toward Earth in a small spacecraft.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Krypton. Thanagar is Hawkman’s homeworld, Apokolips is Darkseid’s domain, and Oa is the headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps. Krypton’s destruction is the defining event of Superman’s origin story.
02
Superman’s greatest love is a fearless, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who works alongside Clark Kent at the Daily Planet. She’s known for her relentless pursuit of the truth and for being one of the few people who sees both the hero and the man. Who is she?
✓ Correct! Lois Lane has been Superman’s primary love interest since her debut in Action Comics #1 in 1938. A brilliant investigative reporter, she’s as iconic as Superman himself — tough, smart, and unafraid to chase the biggest stories in Metropolis.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lois Lane. Diana Prince is Wonder Woman, Lana Lang is Clark’s high school sweetheart from Smallville, and Cat Grant is a gossip columnist at the Daily Planet. Lois Lane is Superman’s iconic partner.
03
Despite being nearly invulnerable under Earth’s yellow sun, Superman has one famous weakness — a radioactive mineral from the remnants of his destroyed homeworld. Exposure to it drains his powers and can even kill him. What is this substance called?
✓ Correct! Kryptonite is the irradiated remnants of planet Krypton. Green Kryptonite is the most common and deadly variety, but there are many other types — Red Kryptonite causes unpredictable behavior, Gold Kryptonite can permanently strip his powers, and Blue Kryptonite affects Bizarro.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Kryptonite. Vibranium is from Marvel’s Black Panther universe, Nth Metal is tied to Hawkman, and Red Sun Ore isn’t a real DC substance. Kryptonite is the iconic green-glowing mineral that is Superman’s ultimate weakness.
04
In 1978, a then-unknown actor donned the cape and made the world believe a man could fly. His portrayal of Superman became the gold standard for superhero films and he starred in four Superman movies. Who is this legendary actor?
✓ Correct! Christopher Reeve’s portrayal in Superman: The Movie (1978) is widely regarded as the definitive live-action Superman. His performance perfectly balanced the heroic confidence of Superman with the endearing clumsiness of Clark Kent, setting the template every Superman actor has followed since.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Christopher Reeve. Henry Cavill played Superman in the DCEU starting with Man of Steel (2013), Brandon Routh starred in Superman Returns (2006), and Tom Welling played young Clark in TV’s Smallville. Reeve was the original big-screen Superman.
05
Superman’s greatest enemy isn’t a superpowered alien — he’s a brilliant, ruthless human billionaire who believes Superman is a threat to humanity’s potential. This bald-headed genius has been Superman’s archenemy for over 80 years. Who is he?
✓ Correct! Lex Luthor is the ultimate foil to Superman — where Superman represents hope and selflessness, Luthor represents ambition and ego. Despite having no superpowers, his genius-level intellect and vast resources make him Superman’s most persistent and dangerous adversary.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lex Luthor. Brainiac is an alien android who collects cities, Darkseid is the god-like ruler of Apokolips, and Doomsday is the monster who famously killed Superman. But Lex Luthor is the definitive archenemy — Superman’s dark mirror.
06
After crash-landing on Earth as a baby, Kal-El was found and adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent, a kind farming couple. They raised him with strong moral values in a small rural town. Where did Clark Kent grow up?
✓ Correct! Smallville, Kansas is the quintessential American small town where Jonathan and Martha Kent raised Clark with heartland values of honesty, compassion, and humility. It’s the foundation of who Superman is — not the powers from Krypton, but the character instilled by his Kansas parents.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Smallville, Kansas. Gotham is Batman’s city, Metropolis is where Clark moves as an adult to work at the Daily Planet, and Coast City is Green Lantern’s home. Smallville is where the Kents raised Clark on their farm.
07
As Clark Kent, Superman disguises himself as a mild-mannered reporter working at Metropolis’s most famous newspaper, alongside Lois Lane and photographer Jimmy Olsen. Their editor-in-chief Perry White runs the newsroom. What is the name of this newspaper?
✓ Correct! The Daily Planet, with its iconic globe on the rooftop, is one of the most recognizable fictional newspapers in pop culture. Working there gives Clark Kent both a cover identity and a way to stay informed about threats to the city and the world.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is the Daily Planet. The Daily Bugle is Spider-Man’s Marvel universe newspaper, the Metropolis Star and Gotham Gazette are lesser DC publications. The Daily Planet — with its spinning globe — is Superman’s journalistic home.
08
This Kryptonian military commander was banished to the Phantom Zone for treason before Krypton’s destruction. He escaped and came to Earth seeking vengeance, famously demanding that others “Kneel before” him. His iconic portrayal by Terence Stamp cemented him in pop culture. Who is this villain?
✓ Correct! General Zod is one of Superman’s most terrifying foes because he has all of Superman’s powers but none of his morality. Terence Stamp’s portrayal in Superman II (1980) made “Kneel before Zod” one of the most quoted villain lines in film history. Michael Shannon later reimagined the role in Man of Steel (2013).
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is General Zod. Bizarro is a flawed clone of Superman, Parasite drains powers through touch, and Metallo is a cyborg with a Kryptonite heart. General Zod is the Kryptonian military leader whose cry of “Kneel before Zod!” echoes through decades of Superman stories.
Mission Complete Your Kryptonian Record
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Are you the Man of Steel — or still stuck in a phone booth?
Regardless of their great strength and abilities, Adam and Clark’s defining trait at the end of the day is their humanity. Masters of the Universe also tackles the question of “what makes a real man?”, rejecting toxic masculinity by proving that there’s a whole lot more than muscles that make He-Man (and Superman) such great heroes.
Strength and courage are important, but empathy and compassion are crucial. Clark and Adam both represent openness, honesty, vulnerability, and a willingness to help others. That’s why Superman is “Super”, and why Adam was chosen to become the Champion of Grayskull: their genuine humanity. As such, that shared perspective and worldview is absolutely why it’s so easy for me to imagine the duo as good friends.
Superman & He-Man Confront Their Arch-Foes The Same Way
In that same vein, one of the strongest similarities between the latest cinematic Superman and He-Man is how they deal with their greatest enemies. Facing Lex Luthor in Superman’s ending, the Man of Steel emphasizes that his humanity is his greatest strength, while also hoping that Lex will one day realize that it’s his own greatest strength too (despite everything Luthor has done to cause him pain).
That’s remarkably similar to Adam’s approach toward Jared Leto’s Skeletor at the end of Masters of the Universe. This is an arch-foe who literally has a skull for a face and burned cities to the ground, and yet Adam still attempts to end the cycle of violence by giving Skeletor the chance to do the right thing and talk, offering him the chance to choose better.
Of course, both villains reject those opportunities. Lex remains consumed by his obsession and jealousy, which will likely lead to some interesting dynamics when Superman and Luthor are forced to work together in Man of Tomorrow. Skeletor remains obsessed with power and domination (and just loves being evil).
However, their refusal doesn’t diminish the significance of either heroes’ attempt. Neither Superman nor He-Man is afraid to use their power, and nine times out of ten they’re more than capable of winning a fight. However, violence and physical strength is their last resort, and they prefer not to use them if they don’t have to.
As such, it’s that restraint makes their action scenes even more satisfying when they do unleash their full power. It carries greater weight and significance because viewers know they would have preferred a peaceful solution. Adam didn’t want to celebrate ripping Trapjaw’s arm off. Superman wanted to humanely end the threat of the giant kaiju (and neither case is weakness).
Superman & He-Man’s Actual Crossover History Explained
The idea of Superman and He-Man meeting and becoming allies isn’t fully pure speculation. While the most recent cinematic versions of course haven’t met, the two heroes do have a shared history dating back to even before the original He-Man and the Masters of the Universe animated series.
Likewise, what’s especially interesting is that Superman himself influenced the main continuity of Masters of the Universe, thanks to the origins of Queen Marlena, Adam’s mother. In the comics prior to the animated series, it was revealed that Marlena was a NASA astronaut who crash-landed on Eternia and married King Randor. As such, it was this history that allowed Adam to have existing knowledge of Earth and its superheroes during one of He-Man’s first crossovers with Superman in the comics.
When the time came for the animated series, Marlena’s Earth origins were maintained, explaining why young Adam was sent to Earth in 2026’s Masters of the Universe. We can even see Marlena’s astronaut helmet in the background of her first seen with Adam at the very beginning of the new movie.
In many ways, Superman and He-Man have always been natural counterparts and allies to each other. However, I think it’s fair to argue that their most recent movies have highlighted this fact even further, especially with both recent depictions being so focused on optimism, joy, and choosing hope even when it’s difficult. While it’s of course a long shot, I’m convinced these versions of Clark and Adam in particular would get along incredibly well.
Masters of the Universe is now playing in theaters from Mattel Studios and Amazon MGM Studios
