TheMasters of the Universemoviehas a new director. Again. Sony Pictures’ reboot/adaptation of the famous Mattel toy line/animated series/live-action movie has been in the works for years, and a number of filmmakers have come and gone. When the project was at Warner Bros. back in 2009,Kung Fu PandadirectorJohn Stevensonwas at the helm. Then in 2012,G.I. Joe: RetaliationfilmmakerJon M. Chuboarded the project, only to back out a year later.McGwas the most recent director attachedbefore falling off this past April, but now it sounds like the project may finally be moving forward with none other thanDavid S. Goyer.
The Wrapreports that theBatman BeginsandMan of Steelscreenwriter is in talks to direct theMasters of the Universemovie after rewriting the script. Sony recently set a June 27, 2025 release date for the project, signaling a desire to finally get this off the ground. The premise revolves around the conflict between He-Man and the evil Skeletor on the planet Eternia, offering up plenty of possibility for a colorful fantasy/sci-fi epic.
While Goyer is best known for his screenwriting work on films likeBlade,Blade II, andGhost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, he’s also got experience directing movies likeBlade: Trinityand the 2009 horror picThe Unborn, as well as episodes of the TV shows he created and ran:Da Vinci’s DemonsandFlashforward.
Goyer is actually one of the originators of the entire DCEU, asMan of Steelwas his idea in the first place, which he pitched toChristopher Nolanwhile the two were writingThe Dark Knight Rises. Goyer wrote the initial screenplay for the follow-upBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, but directorZack Snydersubsequently brought inChris Terrioto do further work on the script (and to writeJustice League), and Goyer somewhat stepped back from the DCEU until earlier this year, when it was announced that he’d be co-writing the upcomingGreen Lantern Corps.
2009’sThe Unbornwas the last time Goyer was behind the camera on a feature film, but clearly Sony liked his take on theMasters of the Universematerial. It’ll be interesting to see if this one sticks, or if Goyer becomes the next in the long line of filmmakers who have come and gone from this long-developing adaptation. The release date is a vote of confidence, so this could very well actually happen.
