Lots of us grew up with He-Man and the Masters of the Universe in the mid-80s and collected a small army of action figures, not just to destroy Eternia under Skeletor's command, but also to protect the planet with the help of He-Man and his friends. And since then, the brand has never completely disappeared, but this year marks the biggest push in 40 years.
In June, as you surely know, it's time to settle into the darkness of the theatre to watch the movie Masters of the Universe, which premieres on June 5. But one person who won't get to see it is Roger Sweet, the man who once created He-Man at Mattel. He has sadly passed away, as his wife confirms to TMZ. Unfortunately, the years have not been kind to him, including two brain haemorrhages, which led fans to organise fundraisers for his medical care (raising around $94,000 via GoFundMe, and the Mattel Foundation also contributed $5,000).
According to his wife, she has been in contact with the filmmakers to have them dedicate the film to the man who created the universe on which it is based, something that would have felt like a fitting farewell.
We might also mention that, in addition to the film, we can look forward this year to the premiere of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: Dragon Pearl of Destruction, a beat 'em up. It doesn't have a release date yet, but it's set to launch in late summer or autumn, giving us yet another chance to enjoy Sweet's creation.