Masters of the Universe Is Joining The 7″ Club?

7″ tall, kid-friendly figures! What did you think I meant?!

Mattel wants to reintroduce the classic Masters of the Universe characters to kids via a new 7″ line of basic action figures. Much like the Marvel’s Titan series, these toys are limited on articulation but are easier on the budget. While they lack the poseability of the Origins or Masterverse versions, these new incarnations could inject some life into the potentially dying brand.

Kneon sent me a link to Toy News International, where some photos have been discovered from down in Brazil showing off the 7″ tall He-Man, Skeletor, Man-At-Arms, and Merman. Each character is modeled after their respective Mattel ’80s likeness, even down to how most of the armor snaps on.

The figures’ proportions break from the old-school squat look and aim for more “realistic” proportions. All four toys appear to have ball joints at the shoulder and possibly at the pelvis. The lower legs may rotate at the shins. The hands might rotate at the wrist, and the heads can swivel side to side.

Skeletor and He-Man both come with their traditional silver and purple Power Swords. However, there’s no Havok staff included. Likewise, Man-At-Arms and Merman have pictured sans accessories.

Is there a market for this? Yes. Has the Masters of the Universe brand missed the prime opportunity to capture it? Maybe.

The MotU franchise is full of peg warmers right now, which wasn’t helped by poor distribution during the Origins line’s first two years. I had to buy most staple characters like Trap Jaw, She-Ra, TriClops, and Teela on the secondary market. Unfortunately, they never showed up in my five local Targets or six local Walmarts.

While Origins may wrap up soon with the Snakemen series or possibly a New Adventures of He-Man last hurrah, the kid-friendly simplified toys could re-spark interest from a younger generation.