Idris Elba Accidentally Threw Up on Nicholas Galitzine During Masters of the Universe Filming
Idris Elba’s on-set mishap rattles co-stars as Camila Mendes tackles the Masters of the Universe casting backlash with a 2026 release on the horizon.
Well, this is one way to make a first impression on Eternia: Idris Elba reportedly lost his lunch on Nicholas Galitzine ’s shoes while shooting Masters of the Universe. Not a metaphor. Actual shoes. Actual lunch.
What happened on set
During a Screen Rant group interview, director Travis Knight said Elba’s very first scene as Duncan (aka Man-at-Arms) came with an unplanned special effect: he accidentally threw up and it landed on Galitzine’s footwear. Galitzine backed it up in the same chat and joked that Elba went method about it. Everyone laughed it off, but yeah — tough first day at the office.
Who Elba is playing
In He-Man lore, Duncan is the palace’s top tactician and a mentor figure to Prince Adam. He’s the guy who keeps the kid alive long enough to become, you know, He-Man. In this film, he’s guiding Adam through the Royal Palace while Skeletor’s attack is underway — exactly the kind of moment where you want a steady hand. Maybe not a queasy stomach.
The movie, the date, the lineup
Amazon MGM and Mattel’s live-action Masters of the Universe hits theaters June 5, 2026, with Nicholas Galitzine leading as Prince Adam/He-Man and Travis Knight directing. Knight has already said he’s streamlining decades of tangled canon to make this thing play for newcomers as well as the folks who grew up with Castle Grayskull on their lunchboxes.
- Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Adam/He-Man
- Idris Elba as Duncan/Man-at-Arms
- Camila Mendes as Teela
- Morena Baccarin as the Sorceress
- Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn
- Jared Leto as Skeletor
- James Purefoy as King Randor
- Charlotte Riley as Queen Marlena
Camila Mendes is reading the comments (on purpose)
Separate from the on-set chaos, Camila Mendes talked about how she’s handling the reaction to her Teela casting. She told Hindustan Times she actually checks social media to mentally brace for any blowback — not to clap back in public, but to build up a private one and move on.
'Also, so I can have my internal clapback if there is any criticism.'
It’s a pragmatic approach for a big legacy title like this, where the casting discourse can get loud fast.
So, yes: swords, Skeletor, mentors, and at least one pair of tragically collateral-damaged shoes. Masters of the Universe arrives June 5. Bring your power sword. Maybe leave the white sneakers at home.