To All the Boys I Loved Before, and Black Adam alum, Noah Centineo, once came remarkably close to becoming He-Man, long before Nicholas Galitzine picked up the Power Sword. The actor recently explained why his version never happened, revealing that a lengthy development process, studio shifts, and an expired contract ultimately pushed him away from the role.
Noah Centineo reveals why he left He-Man role
Speaking on a podcast with Josh, Noah Centineo revealed that he had completed the audition process and even screen-tested in the iconic loincloth. He also signed a contract and saw the production design and world-building plans. But the project kept changing. “They wanted to keep tweaking and tweaking,” Centineo explained, until his contract eventually “ran out.”
The stalled movie then bounced between companies. According to Centineo, Netflix acquired the project before Amazon eventually took over and cast Galitzine as He-Man. When Josh asked whether footage from Centineo’s earlier production might still exist, the actor suggested some material might still be out there. Centineo also joked that the studio “might’ve burned it.“ Centineo also acknowledged the size of the challenge. “It is so difficult to step into such a role,” he said, arguing that making a convincing He-Man movie is “not an easy” task.
The franchise has already experienced one major stumble in live action. Dolph Lundgren starred as He-Man in the 1987 Masters of the Universe, alongside Frank Langella as Skeletor and Courteney Cox. Made for an estimated $22 million, the film earned only about $17.3 million worldwide and received an IMDb score of 5.4/10. It initially failed with audiences and critics, although it later developed a cult following.
Galitzine’s 2026 version arrived with a reported $170 million budget and a cast featuring Camila Mendes, Jared Leto, and Idris Elba. The film earned roughly $113.5 million worldwide, while Rotten Tomatoes currently lists a 67% critics’ score and an 86% audience score.
Centineo has no hard feelings about the recasting. After watching Galitzine’s performance, he called him “incredible” and said he loved what the new He-Man was “trying to do.”
