A few weeks from now, people will be seeing Masters of the Universe on the big screen. But for many, there’s one big albatross around the movie’s neck by the name of Jared Leto, who doesn’t exactly have a great track record with genre movies.
The disdain some have for Leto, whether for his acting or his sexual assault allegations, is apparently enough for Amazon to act like he doesn’t exist. Yes, Skeletor’s all over Masters’ marketing, but you otherwise wouldn’t know who voiced him until the name pops up in the credits. Per Puck News, this is something Leto’s not thrilled about: he was paid $5 million for the role and has been put on a gag order since production wrapped. He didn’t show up at the film’s premiere early this week, and he’s also not doing any promo like Nicholas Galitzine and Camila Mendes, even on his own channels. Making this even weirder is that some who’ve seen the movie early have conceded that he actually makes for a pretty good Skeletor.
It’s a strange thing for a production to not just have a controversial actor in its cast but then actively downplay his involvement. By no means is it unwarranted—as previously stated, audiences do not care for Leto and have made that known financially as well as vocally—but it makes you wonder why Travis Knight and Amazon hired him to begin with. What other actors auditioned for Skeletor, and what did Leto have over those candidates that made him the winner? What has he brought that’s made him worth Masters’ marketing working with one hand tied behind its back?
Such answers may wait until Masters of the Universe comes out on June 5. Maybe Amazon will push him more after opening weekend numbers come in.
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