MOTU 2026 Basic & Origins Movie Figures, Revenge of Skeletor Figure

I enjoyed the new Masters of the Universe film well enough but had little interest in collecting all the figures until I saw a few out on the pegs I liked. I rarely pick up an of the basic line movie figures from any movie franchise, but Teela and Man-At-Arms looked good and worth a try. Though they have no ankle articulation, the hinge swivel knees help with their balance and they are quite posable. Mattel has released a Battle for Eternia playset for the basic movie figures, a pretty cool 2-in 1 combination of Castle Grayskull and Snake Mountain, but these figures fit well enough in my MOTU Origins Vintage Edition Castle Grayskull.

Man-At-Arms has the added bonus of being able to stow his side arm on his thigh armor.

Below, movie Man-At-Arms with the MOTU Origins Man-At-Arms...

 

Below, movie Teela with the MOTU Origins Teela that came packed with Zoar...

I like the metallic sheen of this Father/Daughter pair- quite striking!

There are at least three concurrently running figure lines for the new movie, the one most interesting me being the Origins figures that fit in with my large collection of that 5.5" line I've been amassing since 2020. Naturally, this He-Man was what interested me most and he is fantastic! Mattel even gave him a vertical hinge joint on his wrist to properly raise his sword- I Have The POWER!

Below movie He-Man on my MOTU Origins Battle Cat...

Below, movie He-Man with some of my other favorite MOTU Origins figures: 

Wave 1 He-Man (w/alt. head), Stranger Things He-Man, and Sketchbook Series He-Man...

I'm calling this the Revenge of Skeletor figure due to the title on the card back featuring some fantastic art, reminiscent of the old mini comics. He has a build more like the basic figures in the 2026 movie line. but I'm unsure of which mini comic Mattel used as inspiration for this gold Skeletor, but he certainly is unique!

Below, Revenge of Skeletor figure atop my flocked MOTU Origins Panthor ...!

Below, Revenge of Skeletor with MOTU Origins Stranger Things Skeletor...

I'm not sure I'll venture too much further into these movie lines, but I did enjoy these figures. More Origins-styled 5.5" figures could sway me, but I'm not sure Mattel will devote too many more movie-inspired characters to that format.

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MOTU Origins Moss Man

I'm pretty sure I found this Deluxe Origins Moss Man in '22, but decided to bust him out apropos of nothing- or maybe I felt inspired by my new Origins Castle Grayskull, which has been lots of fun to play with! Yes, this is basically a green Beastman, but he's flocked so we all paid significantly more. He came with two heads, two weapons, and yellow armor that's a direct homage to the MOTU weapons pack back in the '80s. A really nice figure!

   Below, Moss Man with my Origins Wave 1 Beastman and the Origins LOP Beastman ...

   

  

What if Moss Man and Beastman were evil partners trying 

to take over Castle Grayskull from He-Man ..?

...no, I think Buzz-Off would be a better partner for the benevolent Moss Man ...

Below, Moss Man in Castle Grayskull's throne room with Roboto, Stratos, Ram Man, Man-E-Faces, He-Man, the Eternian Goddess, the Sorceress, and Man-At-Arms...

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MOTU Origins Sketchbook Series He-man

 

I was surprised by the sudden appearance of this Sketchbook Series He-Man at retail, mine ordered of Target's website with free shipping and 5% off using my Target debit card. I wasn't interested in the Sketchbook Series Spikor, even on clearance at $6.00 recently, but it was love at first sight for this He-Man. His arrival was also perfect timing after posting on the 2026 Vintage Castle Grayskull!

The battle axe doesn't exactly fit in the sheath on the back of He-Man's armor- they should have included a sword. I'm partial to the alternate head with blonde hair, but it's nice to have options!

I get the concept of pencil sketches on the inserts for these Sketchbook Series figures, but they aren't the original drawings. If you'd like to see more of that, head over to Battle Ram Blog, one of my favorite online resources for Masters of the Universe.

On the box art for the new Vintage Castle Grayskull, it appears that Faker wears the space suit included with the playset! Below, He-Man battles the disguised doppelganger and Skeletor in the throne room ...!

Sketchbook Series He-Man with MOTU Origins He-Man...

Sketchbook Series He-Man with MOTU Origins Stranger Things He-Man 

and Mattel 80th Anniversary Power Punch He-Man...

Hordak and Grizzlor are met by the mysterious space-suited warrior, Sy-Klone, 

and He-Man when attempting to storm Castle Grayskull ...!

He-Man and his trusty mount Battlecat with the Green Goddess at Castle Grayskull...

And finally, He-Man and Link visit the Sorceress and the Eternian Goddess in Castle Grayskull... 

What challenge could be so great that the two warriors must seek such powerful counsel??

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MOTU Origins Castle Grayskull (2026 Vintage Edition)

 My initial disregard of this repaint of Castle Grayskull was soon reversed to must-have status for what reason I've yet to grasp, other than to relive the thrill of buying this wonderful playset. The steep 42% price hike from the original seemed like a cash grab, but it had dropped from its initial $124.00. Complaints aside, I loved this playset so much that I wanted another. The Mattel Origins Castle Grayskull is a direct line from the present to my childhood and all my adventures with my Masters of the Universe figures, playsets, and vehicles. I've said before, MOTU Origins has been my favorite toy line since 2020. 

The Stygian Moat mat included completely dominates my modest photo booth, but I like it well enough. Initial feedback from the community likened it to a cheap tablecloth, but it displays nicely one it all flattened out and in position. The printing isn't that crisp, but the fabric is actually okay.

In person, the playset exterior seems much lighter than my photos turned out. There are a few small, circular indents on the mold that I didn't remember on the first Origins Castle Grayskull, but they were indeed there when I checked. Overall, I am loving this color treatment- it will be fun having a different background to showcase MOTU Origins figures in future posts.

This playset included a figure like the first Origins Castle Grayskull, this time the mysterious Space Suit figure. His colors go well with the castle interior, where this uncanny figure has stood guard since the first Castle Grayskull in '82.

It appears the forearms and legs differ on this newer Space Suit figure, shown below,

 side by side with the one included with the Mysteries of Castle Grayskull Accessory Pack...

2026 Vintage Castle Grayskull next to the 2021 MOTU Origins Castle Grayskull...

Below, Mattel 80th Anniversary Power Punch He-Man, the Eternian Goddess, Sketchbook Series Sy-Klone, and the mysterious Space Suit figure defend Castle Grayskull from Mattel 80th Anniversary Power Punch Skeletor and his Lords of Power Beast Man and Mer-Man ...!

And just for fun, my recent acquisition, the 1982 Battle Ram, loaded by Wave 7 Mini Comic Stratos for the enigmatic astronaut! Can you imagine the battles they'd fight to defend that legendary Fortress of Mystery and Power?? I'm going to have fun using this new Vintage Castle Grayskull!

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