As development continues onMasters of the Universe’s new live-action reboot, the feature has cast the parents of Nicholas Galitzine’s Prince Adam.The upcoming movie is a reimagining of Mattel’s iconic toylinethat explores the battles between Prince Adam’s heroic alter-ego He-Man, and the evil menace that is Skeletor over the fate of Eternia. Alongside Galitzine’s Adam,Masters of the Universe’s cast featuresCamila Mendes, Jared Leto, Idris Elba, Alison Brie, Johannes Haukur Johannesson, and Morena Baccarin.
As the cast ofMasters of the Universecontinues to grow,The Hollywood Reporterconfirmed that the head of the Eternian Royal Family has been cast.James Purefoy, known for his roles inA Knight’s Tale,Rome, andResidentEvil, will play King Randor, the current monarch of Eternia renowned for his nobility and leadership skills. Meanwhile, Charlotte Riley, known for roles inPeaky Blinders, London has Fallen, andThe Peripheralwill play Queen Marlena, the Earth-born queen of Eternia who crash-landed her spaceship on the world.
What King Randor and Queen Marlena’s Casting Means For Masters of the Universe
The Characters' Roles Are Seemingly A Drastic Change From Their Status Quo
While there are few confirmed details about the story of 2026’sMasters of the Universe,Purefoy and Riley’s casting adds further layers that can shine a light on the movie’s plot. In most adaptations, Randor and Marlena are an active presence in Adam’s life, unaware of hisdual identity as He-Man, but nevertheless trying to guide him into becoming a fitting royal.
He-Man: 10 Masters Of The Universe Characters We Hope To Finally See In Live-Action
The original 1987 Masters of the Universe movie overlooked some of the franchise’s best characters, both in He-Man and Skeletor’s factions.
However,the 2026 movie is already set to break away from the typical structure of most adaptations, asMasters of the Universesees a ten-year old Adam crash-landing on his mother’s homeworld, spending twenty years on Earth and only just becoming reacquainted with his heritage in his thirties. As such, Adam will have to become reacquainted with his royal bloodline. However, it is unknown whether Randor and Marlena are alive and ruling Eternia, or whether they have been deposed and potentially even deceased in the present-day storyline.
Our Thoughts On Masters Of the Universe’s Randor And Marlena Casting
Both Actors Have Experience With Elements Of Each Character
Though their involvement in the story isn’t clear at the time of writing, Randor and Marlena’s casting shows that theMasters of the Universemovieis keen on bringing as many members of the series' core cast to the big screen. With Adam being a prince in exile,it would have been easy to omit his parents from the movie to focus on He-Manand simplify the story for newcomers.
Masters of the Universe’s scope and the elements of the franchise that will be covered in the movie are becoming clearer with each new addition.
While the capacity of their involvement is unknown, it can be argued that both actors are good choices for the role.Purefoy is no stranger to playing wise rulers thanks toA Knight’s Tale, and Riley’s action role inLondon Has Fallenprovides her with the experience to explore Marlena’s astronaut background. As such,Masters of the Universe’s scope and the elements of the franchise that will be covered in the movie are becoming clearer with each new addition.
