Nicholas Galitzine on Dolph Lundgren's Meaningful Cameo in 'Masters of the Universe'

Masters of the Universe is bringing together two generations of He-Man for a moment that has resonated with longtime franchise enthusiasts.

Spoiler warning for those planning to see Masters of the Universe.

Director Travis Knight and lead actor Nicholas Galitzine recently sat down with Entertainment Weekly to discuss the film's standout appearance by Dolph Lundgren, who originated the role of He-Man in the 1987 live-action adaptation. In the current film, Lundgren makes his presence felt through a sequence depicting Prince Adam's time on Earth before he takes on his legendary mantle.

The casting choice came about through an interesting creative collision. Galitzine found himself pitching what he thought was a novel idea to Knight, only to discover the director had already been pursuing the same vision.

"I seem to remember sort of quite brightly going to [director Travis Knight] and going, 'You know what would be a great idea, is if we had Dolph Lundgren in the movie,'" Galitzine shared with the publication.

Knight explained that securing Lundgren's involvement proved challenging but ultimately rewarding, creating a symbolic bridge between the franchise's different eras.

"I never knew that I'd be able to convince Dolph Lundgren to be in our movie. I certainly had hoped that we could get Dolph to be in the movie, and it was something that I'd been working for for a long time," Knight said. He added that Lundgren contributed creative input that enhanced the final scene.

For Galitzine, the collaboration carried profound significance beyond the screen. He characterized the moment as emblematic of continuity within the franchise.

"I hope Dolph feels this way, but there was a very real passing of the torch, which felt very special, certainly for me," he reflected.

The film is currently in theaters.