Attention: What follows minor spoilers for the film "Masters of the Universe".
In Travis Knight's 2026 fantasy action comedy Masters of the Universe (read the review of Masters of the Universe on /Film here), there's a scene where the skull-faced villain, Skeletor (Jared Leto), rests on a stone slab. Befitting his carrion-like appearance, Skeletor sleeps on the stone slab beneath a burial shroud. When it's time to awaken him, a servant enters his chambers to remove the shroud. This is a terrifying task, as Skeletor is known to have a short temper. The servant, Piglet (Arun Bassey), is an anthropomorphic pig with blue skin and a frozen expression of worry. When Skeletor is awakened, he threatens to turn Piglet into sausage. Piglet cowers.
It's a minor detail, but seasoned fans of the Masters of the Universe franchise may feel a slight familiarity. It's worth noting that Pigboy isn't one of the many characters in the film copied from existing toy products. Rather, he's a character carried over from the 1987 Masters of the Universe feature film, directed by Gary Goddard. In case you weren't aware, the 1980s Masters of the Universe film is quite infamous and often considered a terrible film and adaptation. It was a cheap Cannon Films production (for more on that, see the documentary "Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films") and barely resembled the Mattel toys on which it was based.
In that film, Pigboy worked for Skeletor (Frank Langella) and at some point passed on his magic staff to him. Pigboy himself was played by Richard Sponder, a young and amateur actor who won the role in a competition held by Mattel in 1986. Thus, Pigboy's appearance in the 2026 adaptation of Masters is a rather unexpected plot twist.
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Pigboy's appearance in Masters of the Universe (1987) explained.
Pigboy in a shroud in Masters of the Universe (1987) — The Cannon Group
In 2010, Richard Shponder gave interviews to Martinis, Bikinis, and Lamborghinis and the website MOTUmovie, during which he recounted how he won the Mattel contest to become Pigboy. Shponder recalled that he was eight years old at the time of the contest and saw an ad on television. The prize was a small role in the upcoming 1987 film Masters of the Universe, as well as a Masters of the Universe-themed toy store. Shponder, a Chicago native, also spent nine days in Los Angeles, visiting Disneyland, Universal Studios Hollywood, and taking a Queen Mary cruise in Long Beach. He was even given a limo to drive around Los Angeles, and, to top it all off, he and his friends got to see a special screening of Masters of the Universe when it was finally completed.
Shopnder recalled that organizing the trip was fraught with controversy, but he was thrilled with the victory. When it finally came time to go on set for costume fittings, Shopnder was less thrilled, as it took a long time to get the costume and mask just right, and he said the mask had to be glued to his face, which he said was very uncomfortable. MOTUmovie features photos of Shopnder on set, out of costume, posing with the film's stars. He recalled that his scene was originally supposed to be a bit longer—Skeletor was supposed to yell at him—and that he hadn't expected to be on screen for so long. He added that his character was originally named Mata-Shai and admitted he didn't really like being called "Pigman.".
Richard Sponder did not reprise his role as Pigboy in Masters of the Universe (2026).
Skeletor shakes his right fist in Masters of the Universe (2026) - Amazon MGM Studios
When Martinis, Bikinis, and Lamborghinis asked Richard Shponder if he would like to return to the role of Pigboy in the upcoming Masters of the Universe film, Shponder admitted that he has no serious ambitions to become an actor:
«Would I return to this role? It’s a funny question. After that experience, I considered becoming an actress. But, alas, I moved on to other interests. Today, I work in corporate America, collaborate with wonderful people, and travel the world thanks to my work. I’ve always dreamed of being a writer, and I finished my first novel this summer. I’m currently editing it and hope to publish it next year. And yes, one of the main characters is a totally badass villain. If someone from Hollywood knocked on my door, would I open it? Probably.».
However, it seems no one has come knocking on Shponder's door. As in the 1987 Masters of the Universe film, Pigboy only has a small role in the 2026 adaptation of Masters of the Universe, though this time he interacts a little more closely with Skeletor. Pigboy's role in the film may even remind older viewers of the 1986 contest that Shponder was lucky enough to win. If you were eight years old back then, you likely dreamed of owning every Masters of the Universe toy. So the chance to win all the remaining toys—and star in the film—would be a dream come true for many. For Shponder, that dream came true.
A short story by Shopnder called "Azure Blue (short story)" can be found online. Meanwhile, the new film "Masters of the Universe" is showing in theaters.
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Read the original article on SlashFilm.