“We Thought It Would Be Huge” – Dolph Lundgren Reflects on the Masters of the Universe Box Office Flop

Masters of the Universe may have won over many fans and critics, but the film has struggled to turn that positive reception into box office success. Despite strong reviews and a well-known brand behind it, the live-action He-Man reboot has failed to meet expectations at the global box office.

The movie’s performance has sparked plenty of discussion among fans and industry observers. Many expected the film to attract a large audience because of the long-running popularity of the franchise. The Masters of the Universe brand has a loyal fanbase that continues to support it through merchandise, animated series, and other media. However, the film has not managed to connect with enough moviegoers outside of that core audience.

One person who was surprised by the results is Dolph Lundgren, who famously played He-Man in the 1987 live-action Masters of the Universe movie and also appears in the new film. Speaking with ComicBook’s Chris Killian during an interview connected to his role as a USA Fencing ambassador ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Lundgren shared his thoughts on the movie’s box office performance.

“Yeah, I was a bit disappointed. I I mean, everybody told me it’s going to do great. I’m not a huge believer in looking at the box office and that influencing how I feel that much emotionally about the picture. But I did think about it like, ‘Oh, okay. Um that was strange that didn’t do better.’ And I don’t know why that is. They did a lot of marketing, they did a lot of press. I was part of it, some of it. I don’t know where it’s at now; I mean, I think it did fairly well overseas as well. I’m not sure what that means really.”

Lundgren admitted that he expected stronger results, especially considering the amount of promotion behind the movie. While he does not judge a film entirely by ticket sales, he was still surprised that it failed to attract a larger audience.

Even with the disappointing box office numbers, reports suggest that Amazon MGM Studios is still planning to move forward with a sequel. That means storylines teased in the film, including the appearance of She-Ra and the possible return of Skeletor, could still be explored in future installments.

During the interview, Lundgren also spoke about the long-term future of the movie and whether it could eventually find a larger audience after its theatrical run ends.

“I suppose… I don’t know. Will Nick be signing swords for 40 years, like I have been? I don’t know. I mean, it’s hard to gauge movies by the box office as well. Sometimes you have a huge box office hit that becomes a classic, or sometimes it makes a lot of money, but nobody cares 20 years later. And there’s also the other one, the other version where it didn’t do that well, but people care a lot, you know, 50 years later.”

His comments highlight an important point. A movie’s box office performance does not always determine how it will be remembered. Some films become classics years after release, while others fade away despite making huge amounts of money.

For now, the future of Masters of the Universe remains uncertain. The film may still find a bigger audience through streaming and home releases. Whether it becomes a lasting fan favorite or develops a cult following similar to the 1987 film remains to be seen.

Lundgren’s comments came during his interview as part of his work with USA Fencing ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

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