Trap Jaw is 
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He-Man, and also the Masters of the Universe
- Thread starter Maruten
- Start date
I like to watch the original here and there, it's still fun of a simpler kind.
But yeah, 200X elevated the whole mythos and lore to an epic new level that we still see the effects of today.
More leaks in the lead up to the US Toy Fair in two weeks. First up, Spielwarenmesse attendee Raman Toys (yes, the quasi Kenner 3rd party guys) managed to snap a few pics of the Chronicles display, where Ram Man was quietly displayed. In addition, Mattel socials have confirmed that Masterverse is being “phased out” through 2026 with Masters of the Universe Chronicles taking over the primary collector line role going forward.
toyhabits.com
But for the less discerning (or a cheap ass, like me), retail stores in Spain and Mexico (?) have seemingly begun getting shipments of the so-called “First Ones” kid centric line of action figures. Wave 1 appears to be He-Man, Teela, and Beast Man. Interestingly, the toys feature a novel “tech spec power bar” thing quite evocative of efforts Hasbro has made in bringing tech specs back to Transformers. Leaked images also have a rough comparison to recent MOTU Origin figures, showing the new line to be roughly 5.5”, though the more “natural proportions” make these movie figures come across as smaller.
For the roughly $10-12 these will retail for? They look nice enough. Sculpt work is solid, the bolder colors are appreciated, and the articulation looks to be fairly on point. Bonus points for the jointed wrists for more dynamic sword positioning on He-Man. He-Man and Beast Man turned out pretty nice, though that face deco on Teela is a bit…”oof”. And the backs? No bios, but the “data points” are interesting, and the fact Mattel still believes in “cross sells” is astounding. It really does look like, good, bad or indifferent, Mattel is really putting a damned solid foot forward with this opportunity.
MOTU Chronicles Movie Figures REVEALED at Spielwarenmesse 2026 - Toy Habits
Early images of Man-At-Arms and Evil-Lyn MOTU MOTU Chronicles Movie Figures at Spielwarenmesse 2026
toyhabits.com
But for the less discerning (or a cheap ass, like me), retail stores in Spain and Mexico (?) have seemingly begun getting shipments of the so-called “First Ones” kid centric line of action figures. Wave 1 appears to be He-Man, Teela, and Beast Man. Interestingly, the toys feature a novel “tech spec power bar” thing quite evocative of efforts Hasbro has made in bringing tech specs back to Transformers. Leaked images also have a rough comparison to recent MOTU Origin figures, showing the new line to be roughly 5.5”, though the more “natural proportions” make these movie figures come across as smaller.
New Masters Of The Universe Core Movie Figures Revealed
Shown below via Quini are in-hand images for Mattel's new Masters of the Universe kid-oriented line of movie figures. These are said to be 5.5 He-Man, Teela
toynewsi.com
For the roughly $10-12 these will retail for? They look nice enough. Sculpt work is solid, the bolder colors are appreciated, and the articulation looks to be fairly on point. Bonus points for the jointed wrists for more dynamic sword positioning on He-Man. He-Man and Beast Man turned out pretty nice, though that face deco on Teela is a bit…”oof”. And the backs? No bios, but the “data points” are interesting, and the fact Mattel still believes in “cross sells” is astounding. It really does look like, good, bad or indifferent, Mattel is really putting a damned solid foot forward with this opportunity.
What efforts were these?
I probably should have framed it as “efforts Hasbro HAD made…” since Hasbro hasn’t really done anything with the idea since the scannable QR codes since year 2 of Legacy. Which makes it all the more surprising that Mattel is doing something like this at all.
Though, I think there SHOULD be some credit given to Travis Knight and his crew at Amazon/MGM for making something that Mattel can mine so readily for toys. And toys that look vibrant and exciting and not slabs of black and grey…. But even at minimum, if Mattel simply rolls a more modest selection in this style, they have: Skeletor, Man At Arms, Evil-Lynn, TriKlops and Fisto being most likely. That’s a solid little slate. But we also know they can pull upon Spikor, Ram Man, Mekanek (I think), and even the minions or maybe King Randor.
Though, I think there SHOULD be some credit given to Travis Knight and his crew at Amazon/MGM for making something that Mattel can mine so readily for toys. And toys that look vibrant and exciting and not slabs of black and grey…. But even at minimum, if Mattel simply rolls a more modest selection in this style, they have: Skeletor, Man At Arms, Evil-Lynn, TriKlops and Fisto being most likely. That’s a solid little slate. But we also know they can pull upon Spikor, Ram Man, Mekanek (I think), and even the minions or maybe King Randor.
If I am being honest, these look neat, but just aren't speaking to me like the other designs did.
IGN got the nod to reveal Mattel’s Core Kids line for Masters of the Universe. Global launch of the toy line is expected on April 25th. Additional products will be revealed this weekend at Toy Fair (like the Castle Grayskull I FULLY expect to be available this fall). Posting the TNI repost because I find the site less cumbersome than IGN’s.
In addition to basic figures, there will also be a pair of deluxe action feature figures at $16-ish joining a slate of vehicles (totally called the Roton naming!) and roleplay (Skeletor mask and Power Sword)
New Masters of the Universe Movie Core Toys Official Images And Info
Shown below are official images and details from Mattel for the upcoming 5.5 Masters of the Universe movie core figures, vehicles and role-play items.The fig
toynewsi.com
In addition to basic figures, there will also be a pair of deluxe action feature figures at $16-ish joining a slate of vehicles (totally called the Roton naming!) and roleplay (Skeletor mask and Power Sword)
While mentioned in press material, the Skele-knight missed the official press rollout. Mattel has corrected that, here's images of the Core figure:
Mattel Masters of the Universe Movie Core Skele-Knight 5.5 Figure
Shown below are official images and details from Mattel for the upcoming Masters of the Universe Movie Core Skele-Knight 5.5 Figure which is slated to hit sh
toynewsi.com
Yeah, I am going to have to troop build that.
Mattel isn’t just going all in on the new feature film, they’re doing a full court press! Over in New Zealand, fans have found yet another new product line that hasn’t been announced:
Masters of the Universe Mighty Masters
REALLY similar to the WWE Knuckle Crunchers line, these are seemingly geared to younger kids, while leveraging some STRONG nostalgia vibes with retro-inspired packaging and figures clearly modeled after their vintage 80s toys. Adjusting for exchange, price was around $7.75, meaning you’re probably looking at a 6.99-7.99 retail price in the US.
At around 3” tall, they feature simple articulation, but DO feature some built in action features evocative of the kinds you’d find in the vintage toy line. Just He-Man, Skeletor, Man At Arms and Beast Man, we’ll see how robust the line ends up being or if it sees any expansion to vehicles or even a Grayskull playset.
toyhabits.com
I’ve seen the WWE Knuckle Crunchers on shelves and immediately thought how nifty a MOTU line at that scale/style would be. Guess someone at Mattel was on the same wave length. Hopefully, MOTU ends up with a more varied character selection than what the WWE line seems to be getting.
Masters of the Universe Mighty Masters
REALLY similar to the WWE Knuckle Crunchers line, these are seemingly geared to younger kids, while leveraging some STRONG nostalgia vibes with retro-inspired packaging and figures clearly modeled after their vintage 80s toys. Adjusting for exchange, price was around $7.75, meaning you’re probably looking at a 6.99-7.99 retail price in the US.
At around 3” tall, they feature simple articulation, but DO feature some built in action features evocative of the kinds you’d find in the vintage toy line. Just He-Man, Skeletor, Man At Arms and Beast Man, we’ll see how robust the line ends up being or if it sees any expansion to vehicles or even a Grayskull playset.
Mighty Masters MOTU Mini Figures With Pull Back Action Features - Toy Habits
MOTU Mighty Masters pull back figures spotted at retail in NZ ahead of Toy Fair, priced at $12.99 NZD with mixed case ratios.
toyhabits.com
I’ve seen the WWE Knuckle Crunchers on shelves and immediately thought how nifty a MOTU line at that scale/style would be. Guess someone at Mattel was on the same wave length. Hopefully, MOTU ends up with a more varied character selection than what the WWE line seems to be getting.
Pixel Dan was present during a Mattel presentation for new MOTU product. Nothing new shown, and I don’t expect any big announcements until later on. I would be utterly shocked if they didn’t have a Grayskull playset and additional Core figures (much less Chronicles) on deck for fall roll out..but there might be some finalizations not complete or they’re waiting on initial sales or film data before committing.
I’m actually glad I hang out here on the Allspark where we all seem a bit more…intelligent and well informed…than many fans. There was still a LOT of chatter and confusion (even in the comments about the video on socials) about the state of some of the product lines. But here’s some basic info shared:
-Core is NOT replacing Origins (The idea that people thought a $10 movie line would replace the $20 vintage oriented line is bonkers to me. It’s like saying Hasbro Epic Series figures were replacing Vintage Collection.). That said, the video showed the figures in action poses and for $10, Mattel is seemingly delivering a damn solid product.
-Masterverse is “on hold” with the collector segment being replaced with Chronicles, with the possibility of non-movie figures in the future. My belief is that this is Mattel’s “out” if Chronicles and the movie completely bomb and they need to shift gears in 2027.
-Chronicles Skeletor has an articulated jaw!
-Crossover products are on hold for the movie year. New crossover products will be discussed later for 2027.
I’m actually glad I hang out here on the Allspark where we all seem a bit more…intelligent and well informed…than many fans. There was still a LOT of chatter and confusion (even in the comments about the video on socials) about the state of some of the product lines. But here’s some basic info shared:
-Core is NOT replacing Origins (The idea that people thought a $10 movie line would replace the $20 vintage oriented line is bonkers to me. It’s like saying Hasbro Epic Series figures were replacing Vintage Collection.). That said, the video showed the figures in action poses and for $10, Mattel is seemingly delivering a damn solid product.
-Masterverse is “on hold” with the collector segment being replaced with Chronicles, with the possibility of non-movie figures in the future. My belief is that this is Mattel’s “out” if Chronicles and the movie completely bomb and they need to shift gears in 2027.
-Chronicles Skeletor has an articulated jaw!
-Crossover products are on hold for the movie year. New crossover products will be discussed later for 2027.
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First people wouldn't read, now they won't watch/listen.
Anyway, here are all the vids:
So, here's a issue I'm having with the new Core vs Origins: I really not seeing enough difference feature and design wise between Core and Origins to justify the nearly double retail price of Origins vs Core.
Collector premium. Not even being facetious. While there is a minor argument to be made that Origins are bulkier figures with more accessories and a bit more deco (on the average)…much of it DOES come down to companies like Mattel and Hasbro knowing they can leverage fan nostalgia to charge a premium. That said, costs are seemingly catching up to Origins as it seems like the mini-comic has been axed in more recent assortments.
I saw this back in 2010 when Hasbro relaunched Star Wars Vintage Collection: it wasn’t uncommon to find the same figure available both as a Vintage carded release AND Saga Legends release, but the Saga Legends version cost less (by about $3 at the time) DESPITE coming with more accessories and packaging. Just because it wasn’t on that coveted “vintage” packaging.
It’s also possible that Mattel might be running margins tighter on MOTU Core to those prices as well, to help juice sales. Going back to 2010, Hasbro was seemingly able to offer GI Joe Pursuit of Cobra figures for $5.99, despite a $7.99-8.99 retail price for the Rise of Cobra line available the year before.
Going back to the Star Wars analogy, this is kind of how the current MOTU line breaks down in comparison:
MOTU Core is the equivalent of the 4” Epic World of Action figures Hasbro has been doing the last few years (replaced this year with ActionVerse 5”-ish figures)
MOTU Origins is equivalent to The Vintage Collection.
MOTU Chronicles is the Black Series analog.
And in package sample of the SkeleKnight Core figure was on hand at Toy Fair, and Retro Toy Escapades managed to snap a pic of the backside. In addition to confirming Skeletor and SkeleKnight as "wave 2", the cardback gives us our first look at the film version of Mekaneck, confirming his cameo in the film trailer.
If I'm keeping track (probably not that well) here's the "toyetic" appearances I know of:
Heroes-
He-Man
Man At Arms
Teela
Roboto
Fisto
Mekaneck
Battlecat/Cringer
Ram Man
Sorceress
King Randor
Villains-
Skeletor
Skele-Knight
Beast Man
Evil-Lynn
Trap Jaw
TriKlops
Spikor
Goat Man
Though, it remains to be seen how many are actually relevant and aren't glorified cameos as we saw with a number of deep cuts in Bumblebee.
2026 NYTF - Mattel Masters Of The Universe Movie Core Mekaneck Figure First Look
Shown below via Retro Toy Escapades is our first look at the upcoming 5.5 Masters Of The Universe Movie Core Mekaneck figure coming from Mattel. This figure
toynewsi.com
If I'm keeping track (probably not that well) here's the "toyetic" appearances I know of:
Heroes-
He-Man
Man At Arms
Teela
Roboto
Fisto
Mekaneck
Battlecat/Cringer
Ram Man
Sorceress
King Randor
Villains-
Skeletor
Skele-Knight
Beast Man
Evil-Lynn
Trap Jaw
TriKlops
Spikor
Goat Man
Though, it remains to be seen how many are actually relevant and aren't glorified cameos as we saw with a number of deep cuts in Bumblebee.
MOTU Core Battlecat in package images. He might not have as fancy a deco, or the fancy articulation...but does your Chronicles or Masterverse Battlecat chomp and roar?
I thought not
I thought not
Mattel Masters of the Universe 2026 Movie Core Series Battlecat Figure
Shown below via Roy Juarez is a look at the packaging for the new Masters of the Universe Movie 2026 kid-focused 5.5? scale Battle Cat coming soon.
toynewsi.com
I mean, the cat itself looks okay, but the armor looks bland as hell. No textures, dull matte red colors, the helmet looks like someone just draped a bunch on plates on him.MOTU Core Battlecat in package images. He might not have as fancy a deco, or the fancy articulation...but does your Chronicles or Masterverse Battlecat chomp and roar?
I thought not
Mattel Masters of the Universe 2026 Movie Core Series Battlecat Figure
Shown below via Roy Juarez is a look at the packaging for the new Masters of the Universe Movie 2026 kid-focused 5.5? scale Battle Cat coming soon.toynewsi.com
I have othher Battlecat figures that look much better. I think I'll pass on this one.