Dune's Awesome Ornithopters Created 'A Huge Problem' For Masters Of The Universe [Set Visit]

Whether you're part of the generation that grew up watching Filmation's "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" cartoon on TV or the generation that mainly associates it with a certain viral meme, there's no denying that it left its mark on pop culture. The trailers for Travis Knight's "Masters of the Universe" have drawn comparisons to recent Marvel offerings like "Thor: Ragnarok" and "Guardians of the Galaxy," but those movies themselves have strains of "MOTU" DNA.

One name that might not immediately come to mind when you think of movies inspired by "Masters of the Universe" is Denis Villeneuve's "Dune." Sure, they both feature a very special boy with a royal heritage and superpowers, but "Dune" is a lot more serious in tone and, well, beige in color. Nonetheless, die-hard fans of "Masters of the Universe" might have clocked that one aircraft in "Dune" — the awesome, insect-like ornithopters — looked a little familiar.

"Masters of the Universe" production designer Guy Hendrix Dyas certainly did. Speaking to /Film during a visit to the film's set last year, Dyas pointed out that the ornithopters in Frank Herbert's original novel were designed after birds (hence "orni-" in the name) rather than insects, but in the 2021 "Dune" movie, they resembled dragonflies with fluttering wings. "I secretly believe, and I've yet to find this out, that whoever designed it maybe was a fan of 'Masters of the Universe,'" Dyas ventured.

The theory is pretty convincing. The ornithopters do bear a striking resemblance to the Fright Fighter, an aircraft used by the evil Skeletor and his minions. But since the Fright Fighter has faded into the mists of time and the "Dune" ornithopters are still relatively fresh in our memories, the resemblance created a "huge problem" for 2026's "Masters of the Universe."

In theory, of course, "Masters of the Universe" shouldn't have to avoid similarities to the ornithopters in "Dune," seeing as the Fright Fighter came first. Unfortunately, a cry of "rip-off!" can travel halfway round the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes. So, "Masters of the Universe" director Travis Knight and production designer Guy Hendrix Dyas put their heads together to figure out how to distinguish their dragonfly-copter from the ones on Arrakis.

One of the biggest changes came from Knight. "He said, 'What would happen if, like a dragonfly, the tail could actually flex and bend?'" Dyas recalled. Another unique feature: rather than having a separate set of legs as the landing gear, the Fright Fighter's rotors become the legs when the 'copter comes in to land.

Perhaps the most distinctive element of the Fright Fighter, though, is the one that was there all along: its color scheme. Those shades of purple and blue wouldn't give the ornithopters much camouflage amid the desert landscape of Arrakis, but they're perfect for the campy world of Eternia. As Dyas explained:

"What I've tried to do in every case is make sure that all the vehicles adhere to the original color schemes of the toys and the animation, which has been really honestly quite amazing for me as a designer who normally would always do spaceships in the classic sort of steel or gray. We all know that spaceships are always gray, right? Well, not in this world."

"Masters of the Universe" flies into theaters on June 5, 2026.