Masters of the Universe’s Post-Credits Scene Teases Another Iconic Hero
There is another.
Travis Knight’s take on Masters of the Universe — the toy brand that became an animated sword-and-sorcery adventure and cultural phenomenon in the ‘80s — is basically the hero’s journey on psychedelics. The adventures of Prince Adam (Nicholas Galitzine), aka He-Man, distills the wonder of Arthurian legend, pulpy sci-fi, and comic book fantasy in one ambitious swing. Though it’s hard not to think about Marvel movies like Thor or Guardians of the Galaxy when faced with its endless quips and stylized combat, He-Man was here first, and he reclaims his place as the ultimate action hero with infectious, earnest gusto.
That said, his latest live-action adventure also does well to remind us that Eternia is really just the beginning. He-Man might have done the impossible and unlocked the Power of Grayskull, but he won’t be the only warrior to achieve that feat if this franchise gets the chance to continue. Masters of the Universe is already looking ahead to the adventures we might see in future films; its post-credits scene even gives us a glimpse at another iconic hero. It’s the kind of tease that will surely stir up excitement for fans of another, more recent He-Man spinoff, and ideally set the stage for an even bigger sequel. Spoilers for Masters of the Universe ahead.
Who cameos in Masters of the Universe’s post-credits?
The original transformation of She-Ra.
Masters of the Universe brings Prince Adam from Eternia to Earth and back, positioning him as the sole force who can free the planet from the reign of the evil Skeletor (Jared Leto). The hero succeeds with the help of his friends and the power within; before the credits roll, Eternia has reclaimed its place as a beacon of peace and prosperity. But as Adam’s mother, Queen Marlena (Charlotte Riley), cryptically points out, this part of the galaxy is far from whole. It turns out Adam has a long-lost twin sister on a nearby planet, and her struggles there will inevitably inform the conflict in a future sequel.
On the planet of Etheria, not far from Eternia, a very different battle is brewing. Masters’ post-credit scene introduces us to Princess Adora, though it (somewhat wisely) keeps her back turned to the camera, leaving the opportunity for a buzzy casting announcement in the future. Besides, whoever winds up playing Adora is not nearly as interesting as what her cameo promises for the franchise.
Adora, aka She-Ra, was created as a female counterpart to He-Man after the bonkers success of his 1983 animated series. Unlike her twin brother, who first appeared in toy aisles before making the jump to the screen, She-Ra was created exclusively for TV by Larry DiTillio, J. Michael Straczynski, and Diane Keener. She debuted in He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword, an animated film that also served as the launch pad for her own show, She-Ra: Princess of Power, in 1985.
Six years after her last appearance, She-Ra makes the jump to live-action.
As her origin story goes, Adora was kidnapped by the evil demon Hordak and brought to Etheria when she was just a baby. When her adventures truly begin, she’s serving as an agent of the Horde that’s been ruling over Etheria — but she soon learns the truth of her origins when Adam visits Etheria. He bequeaths the Sword of Protection (a complement to his Sword of Power) to her, allowing her to gain the Power of Grayskull, and she renounces her allegiance to the Horde, taking on a secret identity as She-Ra.
If Masters of the Universe does get a sequel, it’ll most likely adapt She-Ra’s origins with some degree of poetic license. Netflix’s 2018 remake, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, depicted She-Ra’s radicalization without any help from He-Man — and a live-action She-Ra film could split the difference between the original cartoon and its modern update. The Adora we meet at the end of Masters of the Universe has notably rejected her given name, which means she’s already taken on her crusade as She-Ra. But she might need a little help to defeat the Horde and stop Etheria from crumbling into dystopia, and that may be where Adam comes in.
Will Masters of the Universe get a sequel?
The future is unclear for Masters of the Universe, but it’ll definitely include She-Ra.
Director Travis Knight is certainly keen to tell more stories set in the He-Man universe. “If the world doesn’t want them, we won’t tell them,” Knight told ScreenRant. “But if the world demands more of them, we’d be very lucky to be able to tell more stories in this universe... There are things that I wanted to put in this movie that we weren’t able to do, things I’d like to explore.”
One of those things could be She-Ra’s connection with He-Man — though without an official greenlight from Amazon MGM, there’s no telling when we could see these star-crossed siblings fight the forces of evil together. Either way, though, She-Ra’s story seems all but guaranteed to continue. Prime Video has been quietly developing a live-action She-Ra TV show since 2021; per Variety, the studio tapped a new screenwriter in 2024. Of course, it’s been two years since any updates on that show have surfaced, but the future looks good for the Princess of Power either way. A big-screen adventure alongside her brother would be ideal, but we should see She-Ra make the jump to live-action sooner rather than later.
