She has been Veronica Lodge, and now Camila Mendes is trading sass for brawn, as she transforms into Teela, the popular superhero in the He-Man universe. The new Masters of the Universe film stars Camila as Teela, Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Adam, and Jared Leto as Skeletor. In a candid chat with Hindustan Times, Camila opens up on the role and opening herself up to fan reactions.
‘We gave her more emotional depth’
Teela, like He-Man, originated as an action figure from Mattel before showing up as a supporting character in the animated show. Her original version had her as a warrior goddess, but one who still needed rescuing by the hero. The new Teela is much more self-sufficient and even better than He-Man at some things. Talking about modernising her while staying timeless, Camila says, “We balanced it by giving her a bit more emotional depth and a dry sense of humour. That was really essential to humanise her and ground her. Her strength is so important to who she is, but you also want to be able to access her and understand who she is beneath that. That’s why, at the beginning of the film, having this origin story with Adam and Teela as kids really helps establish who they really are.”
‘You have to let your work speak for itself’
Masters of the Universe was announced in 2024, and Camila’s casting was announced in August of that year. Since then, the internet has been abuzz with reactions to everything from the trailers to her look. But unlike many other actors, Camila does not avoid the social media chatter. “I am always of the mind to look at things. I like to see what people are saying, just so I get to know and start processing it. It’s important to know what the conversation is. Even if you don’t agree with it, it’s nice to make yourself aware of it,” she says.
Her co-star Nicholas Galitzine asks her if it is to get a sense of what people are saying, and Camila responds, smiling, “Also, so I can have my internal clapback if there is any criticism.”
But while the actor takes criticism seriously, she does not want to react to it. Talking about the positive reaction to the film after its premiere last week, she says, “At one point, you just have to let the work speak for itself.”
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, directed by Travis Knight, stars Nicholas and Camila Mendes, alongside Jared Leto, Alison Brie, James Purefoy, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Kristen Wiig, Morena Baccarin, and Idris Elba. The film releases in theatres worldwide on June 5.