Despite underperforming at the box office, Masters of the Universe captures the same spirit of hope and optimism that made last year's Superman a hit. This analysis explores why fans of James Gunn's Superman should check out the He-Man film, how both movies embrace 'hopecore' themes, and what factors may be contributing to its struggle to attract audiences.
Last summer, James Gunn 's Superman took the world by storm, becoming one of the must-see blockbusters of 2025, but this year, audiences are missing out on its spiritual successor.
The prevailing theme of Superman that appealed to audiences was its message of hope, with 'maybe that's the real punk rock' becoming one of the most quoted lines from the film. Superman is one of DC's oldest superheroes, and he's well-known for his optimistic outlook on humanity. After a darker turn in Zack Snyder's films from the DC Extended Universe, Gunn's Superman rebooted the superhero with the bright-eyed optimism many fans loved about the character.
This put David Corenswet's hero at odds with his girlfriend, Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), who views the world more cynically, but the two found a way to make their relationship work. The themes of hope and optimism in Superman were exactly what audiences needed in 2025, and they continue to be what moviegoers crave in 2026.
One of the most popular movies of the year so far is Project Hail Mary, which sees a scientist go on a suicide mission to save Earth, only to achieve his goal and find a true friend along the way. However, while Project Hail Mary became a box office success, audiences aren't turning up for Superman's true spiritual successor.
Although Superman's direct follow-ups, Supergirl and Man of Tomorrow, haven't hit theaters yet, there's another summer movie that brings to life a similar kind of hope and optimism about the world, and that's Masters of the Universe. The adaptation of Mattel's multimedia franchise has been in theaters for over a week, but it hasn't gotten the same reaction as Superman - which is a shame because it should.
As noted in the review of Masters of the Universe, the He-Man movie starring Nicholas Galitzine as Adam Glenn has similar messages of hope and optimism as Superman. While the themes aren't exactly the same, both movies have stories about their heroes feeling lonely and different from those around them, but ultimately finding their place in the world.
Superman and Adam both struggle with the expectations placed on them by their parents, and yet they endeavor to help people and do good. Last summer, Superman inspired a trend/aesthetic called hopecore, which encompasses art and media that promote themes of optimism, feel-good inspiration and general reassurance of the good in people and the world.
While there have no doubt been hopecore movies to release since Superman - Project Hail Mary being one of them - Masters of the Universe has the big bombastic action, sci-fi/fantasy spectacle and humor other films don't. For these reasons, Masters of the Universe is the perfect spiritual successor to Superman, and those who enjoyed Gunn's take on the Big Blue Boy Scout should check out the He-Man movie.
However, unlike Superman, which earned a respectable $618.7 million at the box office, Masters of the Universe is in danger of flopping, having earned only $62 million as of this writing. So, what's going on? There are multiple factors affecting Masters of the Universe's worldwide box office.
The film's Rotten Tomatoes critic score is much lower than Superman's (68% versus 83%), but the audience scores are more similar, with Masters of the Universe holding an 87% Popcornmeter, while Superman has 90%. That indicates audiences are enjoying Masters of the Universe almost as much as Superman, but still aren't turning up to theaters.
It's possible Masters of the Universe is struggling due to a lack of promotion - perhaps audiences simply aren't as aware of the movie as they were of Superman. Or the He-Man franchise simply isn't as popular among prospective moviegoers as DC's Man of Steel. There's also the factor of disposable income, which has likely declined in the last year as inflation makes necessities like groceries and utilities more expensive.
Whatever the reason for it, folks are missing out on seeing Masters of the Universe in theaters. However, if you're a fan of Superman, it's certainly worth checking out Masters of the Universe and seeing this year's hopecore movie of the summer
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