A live action movie based on the 80s toy/cartoon ‘He-Man and the Masters of the Universe’ has been in some stage of development for decades. Honestly, most figured it would never actually materialize but is it possible that the movie is actually closer to reality than anyone realized? In January, we learned that James Wadlow had completed a draft of the script and turned it in to C0lumbia Pictures, but in August, word came that Christopher Yost, of ‘Thor: The Dark World’ and ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ fame, was tackling the script. Could ‘Masters of the Universe’ have come together under the radar?
The answer is maybe! Professional bodybuilder Mike O’Hearn posted a photo on his Instagram mentioning an upcoming movie role with the hashtag #He-Man. See for yourself below:
Only a prize bodybuilder could come close to that level of bulk and O’Hearn is a four time Mr. Universe, was voted one of the best physiques of all time by the fitness industry and has appeared on over 500 fitness magazine covers!
But… uh, can he act? That’s the big question. It’s not out of the question for someone who has gained their notoriety from their body to actually go on to film success. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno come to mind and Dwayne Johnson started out as a pro wrestler for the WWE. And many other successful actors have come out of the world of pro sports.
O’Hearn does have some acting experience, having appeared on ‘Days of Our Lives’, ‘It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia’ and ‘Workaholics’ (among other TV shows) as well as in direct-to-video movies, including one fittingly called ‘Barbarian’. He might be more recognizable as one (or rather two) of the ‘American Gladiators’. He appeared as ‘Thor’ on the original incarnation of the series (1989-96) and returned as ‘Titan’ in the short-lived reboot in 2008. In between, he appeared on the ‘American Gladiators’-like ‘Battle Dome’ under the alias Michael O’Dell.
For fanboys and girls, he might be best recognizable for playing Clark Kent/Superman in the YouTube video ‘World’s Finest’.
If not, you can watch the video below:
Finally, here is a photo montage with O’Hearn decked out in barbarian mode, which may give you an idea of what to maybe expect should he actually be playing He-Man:
Well, he has the physique for sure and his acting in the ‘World’s Finest’ video isn’t bad at all. At 46, O’Hearn might be a lot older than the depiction of Prince Adam/He-Man on the classic cartoon, on which he was maybe a late teen or in his early twenties. (His age was never really clarified.) But the ‘Masters of the Universe’ mythos has never really been set in stone. Besides the popular cartoon, there was a 2000’s era updated animated series, the minicomics that came with the toys that largely existed in their own reality, various comic book series and of course the 1987 live action film starring Dolph Lundgren,all of which had their own continuity. This movie could be set later in the storyline than the original cartoon, thus explaining an older He-Man.
Are you excited that this movie might finally be coming together? Do you think Mike O’Hearn can handle the role?
Source: Movie Pilot
