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In a declaration that, perhaps more than any in recent memory, needs to be seen to be believed, Netflix’s Masters of the Universe: Revolutions executive producer Ted Biaselli has claimed that the animated sequel series – unlike its predecessor Revelations – will actually “explore what it means to be He-Man”.
The Netflix Director of Original Series offered this supposed tease of Revolutions‘ narrative direction while speaking with SFX Magazine in promotion of the series’ upcoming January 25th premiere date.
Asked what fans could expect from their next trip to Eternia, Biaselli asserted, “This is a story that’s going to explore what it means to be He-Man when a new responsibility falls on Adam.”
“I think it’s really interesting to explore what it’s like when, as an adult, you know what you want to do, and your parents also have expectations for you,” he elaborated. “How do you reconcile with that?”
Then making what can only be described as a Hail Mary for fan attention, Biaselli then answered his own question, “We do it with an eye towards making sure fans know that He-Man is in three-and-a-half or four out of the five episodes.”
“He is He-Man in the show!” he ultimately exclaimed.
Unfortunately for Biaselli, it’s unlikely that his desperate play will actually connect with any of the fans he’s ostensibly appealing to, as at this point in its history the He-Man continuation series has become almost synonymous with the term ‘deception’.
Take, for example, the base fact that despite being marketed as a direct sequel series to the original Masters of the Universe cartoon, the previous entry, Revelations, actually centered not on He-Man himself, but rather Teela and her quest to protect Eternia in the wake of his supposed ‘death’.
Further, this is the same series whose most famous moment came not in the actual show, but when showrunner Kevin Smith attempted to discredit a wholly accurate series spoiler report from YouTubers Kneon and GeekySparkles – otherwise known as the duo behind Clownfish TV – by outright lying about Revelations‘ plot.
And then there’s Biaselli’s own prior admission that the series’ race-swapped both Andra and King Grayskull in order to both trick audiences into liking their own original characters, but that the decision was made specifically to spite a supposed ‘lack of diversity’ among the franchise’s cast.
In light of these very real and provable events, audiences have been left with little, if absolutely any reason to trust anything the series’ production crew may say in an attempt to boost its watch numbers.
To this end, it should be noted that at no point in Biaselli’s recent statement does he ever explicitly confirm the capacity in which He-Man will appear in his “three-and-a-half or four” episode screen time.
Further, at no point does the Netflix ever use any language that would suggest the hero plays an actual central role in the series’ plot.
Thus, given their history of deception and willingness to run roughshod over the franchise’s history, it currently stands well within the realm of possibility that rather than actually playing the part of series protagonist, He-Man will instead appear in Revolutions as an introspective warrior whose heroism is impacted by his own self-doubt.
You know, kind of like the lead hero in the other franchise starring Skeletor voice actor Mark Hamill.
Ultimately, fans can discover the truth behind Biaselli’s words when Masters of the Universe: Revolutions hits Netflix on January 25th.