Finance
Mattel builds He-Man movie buzz with new action figures
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on January 29, 2026
2 min readLast updated: January 29, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
Company
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on January 29, 2026
2 min readLast updated: January 29, 2026
Mattel introduces He-Man action figures ahead of its new movie, aiming to revive the brand with a star-studded cast and nostalgic appeal.
NUREMBERG, Germany, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Mattel launched a new line of action figures on Thursday for its upcoming live-action movie "Masters of the Universe", aiming to repeat the success of its 2023 smash hit "Barbie".
The toymaker has more than a dozen movies in development as it looks to reinvigorate its brands and spur demand.
"Masters of the Universe" is Mattel's second major theatrical release after "Barbie", which grossed more than $1.4 billion worldwide and won an Academy Award.
The toy launch builds on momentum from the new movie's first teaser trailer, released last week, which has since racked up more than 30 million YouTube views.
Roberto Stanichi, Mattel's chief global brand officer, said there was a lot of nostalgia for a toy line that first came out in the 1980s. "So we've been waiting for the right moment to bring it back in a way that really delivers on the legacy", he said at the Nuremberg International Toy Fair in Germany.
The decision to relaunch the brand was driven by Mattel finding the right team to make the movie, led by Oscar-nominated director Travis Knight, he told Reuters.
The action figures - including He-Man, Skeletor and Evil-Lyn - will retail for about $25 and roll out globally from April, around two months before the movie, starring Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man, hits theatres.
The cast includes Jared Leto as the villain Skeletor, as well as Idris Elba, Alison Brie and Camila Mendes.
(Reporting by Louisa Off in Nuremberg and Miranda Murray in Berlin. Editing by Mark Potter)
Brand revival refers to the process of reintroducing a brand to the market, often leveraging nostalgia or updated marketing strategies to attract new customers and rekindle interest.
Action figures are poseable toys representing characters from movies, comics, or video games, often aimed at children and collectors, and used for play or display.
Nostalgia in marketing is a strategy that evokes fond memories of the past to create emotional connections with consumers, often leading to increased engagement and sales.
A teaser trailer is a short promotional video that provides a glimpse of an upcoming film, designed to generate excitement and anticipation among audiences.
A live-action movie features real actors and sets, as opposed to animated films, combining live performances with visual effects to tell a story.
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