‘Masters of the Universe’ Director Travis Knight Opens Up About Jared Leto and His Wild On-Set “Blood” Moment

Travis Knight has opened up about what it was like working with Jared Leto on the upcoming Masters of the Universe movie, sharing new behind-the-scenes details about Leto’s approach to playing Skeletor.

Knight, who is also known for directing films like Bumblebee and ParaNorman, described Leto as someone who constantly brought unexpected ideas to the set. He said the actor would regularly change things in surprising ways while filming, sometimes in ways that made people laugh and sometimes in ways that felt intense or even unsettling.

He explained, “He would do something unexpected every single day. In ways that would delight me, that would horrify me, that would make me laugh.” According to Knight, this unpredictable energy actually worked well for the character of Skeletor, who is meant to be a mix of humor, danger, and insecurity.

In the same interview, Knight said Leto was fully committed to making the villain memorable. He explained that the actor wanted to push the character as far as possible, saying, “He wanted to swing for the fences with this character. He wanted to make a villain for the ages.” Knight added that he believes Leto succeeded in that goal and said the performance is very entertaining and fun to watch.

One of the most unusual moments shared by Knight involved Leto’s decision to add “blood-like” makeup to his face during filming. The actor was already wearing a heavy prosthetic costume that transformed his body into Skeletor’s skeletal form, but his face still looked like his normal self on set before CGI was added in post-production.

Because of that, Leto decided to apply smeared red makeup to his face while filming. This made him look more frightening for the other actors in the scene. Knight explained that this was done so his co-stars would not just see Jared Leto during emotional moments, but instead see a more intimidating version of the character they were meant to react to.

Knight described this choice as helpful for the performance, saying, “He didn’t want the other actors that he was sharing the scenes with to look at him and see Jared. He wanted them to look at him and see something scary.” He also said this was an “act of generosity,” because it helped other actors stay in character and react more naturally during filming.

The director also addressed Leto’s reputation for method acting, which has been discussed in past projects like Suicide Squad. Knight said that, based on his experience working with him, Leto did not behave in an extreme or disruptive way on this set. Instead, he focused on supporting the scene and helping others stay immersed.

He said, “From my own experience, which is all I can speak to, no, he was not like that.” This suggests a more controlled and collaborative approach during the making of Masters of the Universe.

In the film, Leto takes on the role of Skeletor, one of the most well-known villains in the franchise. The character has appeared in multiple versions of Masters of the Universe over the years, including animated series and the 1987 live-action movie where Frank Langella previously played the role.

Knight’s version of the film also features a large ensemble cast, including Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, Idris Elba, Alison Brie, James Purefoy, Charlotte Riley, and Morena Baccarin.

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