Recommended music: Cory Wong – Cosmic Sans
Good evening and happy Wookiee Life Day, MOTU fans! On this #MastersMonday, we continue our look at Revolution figures in the Mattel Masters of the Universe Masterverse line. Next up: Gwildor!
When the Netflix Masters of the Universe: Revelation animated series ended, it was unclear if we would get any more stories from this canon. Thankfully, this universe was brought back for MOTU: Revolution, and the cast list showed some new, but familiar characters, including Gwildor from Thenur.
If that name doesn’t stand out to you, Gwildor was the inventor and locksmith character who provided much of the comic relief in the 1987 Masters of the Universe live-action film. As the technology and budget did not allow for bringing the flying wizard Orko to the big screen, Gwildor served as his practical replacement.
Portrayed in the live-action film by the late great Billy Barty, Gwildor is now voiced by Ted Biaselli. Not only is Biaselli an executive producer for the Netflix series, but also a life-long MOTU fan and Power-Con attendee who was a driving force in bringing the property to Netflix. The third episode of Revolution, ‘More Things In Heaven and Eternia’, is the first MOTU story to feature Gwildor and Orko together as they fight the Cult of Motherboard, spread by Skeletor.
Mattel revealed a Gwildor and Orko 2-pack at San Diego Comic-Con 2023, with the set being available just ahead of the Masters of the Universe Revolution airing on Netflix in January of 2024. I believe they were supposed to be an Amazon exclusive, but were quickly available at other retailers.
The sculpt and paint job on the figure are similar to the cartoon, but I think the head could use a little more detail, or at least a black wash. Gwildor comes with at least 16 points of articulation, including slightly poseable ears. He also comes with his staff first seen in the Masters of the Universe Classics line, as well as his traditional Cosmic Key accessory. Mattel went cheap with this version, which has exactly three paint hits compared to the two colors seen on the vintage weapon released 37 years earlier. 😄
The accessories help, but we’re still looking at a $40 retail price for a four-inch action figure. This release really relies on Orko to make it a good value. Overall, it’s a good figure, and a must-buy after watching the Revolution series.
Masters of the Universe Revelation/Revolution turned four years old this year! I “figure” there’ll be a new figure from this series to share here for the rest of the year!
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