Kevin Smith will revive He-Man for Netflix with Masters of the Universe: Revelation, a sequel to the 1980s animated series that depicts "what may be He-Man and Skeletor's final battle." With Powerhouse Animation, the studio that produced Castlevania, working on this series, it promises to be an epic finale to the cartoon classic.
Of course, Masters of the Universe won't be the only Netflix animated series based on '80s Mattel/Filmation cartoons. She-Ra and the Princesses of Power recently released its third season on the streaming service, so it's only nature if some fans wonder whether the two will share continuity; after all, the original She-Ra: Princess of Power was a spinoff on He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. While there would be difficulties in staging a crossover, given that one is a reboot and the other is a direct continuation, there are good reasons why Masters of the Universe: Revelation should intersect with She-Ra and the Princesses of Power.
THE PROBLEMS
The immediately apparent obstacle to this idea is that the two shows aren't being produced by any of the same people. Masters of the Universe: Revelation hails from Mattel Television, while She-Ra comes from DreamWorks Animation Television. They only share the same platform, Netflix.
Therefore, should a crossover happen, Mattel and DreamWorks would need to come to an agreement.
Furthermore, as a sequel to the original series, which already had its own She-Ra, introducing the new Princesses of Power characters into Masters of the Universe would contradict established continuity. In fact, She-Ra showrunner Noelle Stevenson said last year that she isn't sure how they would be able to incorporate He-Man into Princesses of Power.
With the ever-increasing divergence between the two continuities, it seems impossible for She-Ra to bridge the gap, right?
THE SOLUTION
The easiest way to link these two very separate continuities is by creating a multiverse, possibly with the use of inter-dimensional portals in a similar manner that to Netflix's Voltron revival. This way, the '80s He-Man could directly interact with the new She-Ra.
But why would these two series need to cross over? It is easy to dismiss the idea as mere fan-service, but there might be more reason to justify this link between worlds.
Masters of the Universe: Revelation promises to feature a fight for the fate of the universe that will reveal the secrets of Eternia. What if the threat that can eradicate all reality involves the fraying boundaries between dimensions? There are several alternate continuities for He-Man already, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power now being among them, so the justification has long been in place.
It wouldn't be the first time the He-Man franchise played with the idea of alternate realities, either. Most notably, the live-action film, Masters of the Universe, featured inter-dimensional travel. DC's upcoming miniseries, He-Man and the Masters of the Multiverse will explicitly feature various versions of the fictional realm. Perhaps the "secrets of Eternia" in Masters of the Universe: Revelation will involve the boundaries between realities.
SAVE IT FOR AFTER THE CREDITS
The creators of Masters of the Universe: Revelation might very reasonably feel a direct link to Princesses of Power is unnecessary in the main plot. But perhaps they could instead feature a post-credits scene referencing the Netflix series after the final episode. It can be just a goofy gag that will offer pure fan service without compromising or affecting the greater story.
Perhaps the events of the series could have offered some reality-bending, which led to the arrival of the She-Ra crew in the original He-Man reality. Or, perhaps, She-Ra and the princesses become aware of Eternia. Or maybe there is no explanation given for this crossover, and it offers the animators a chance to experiment.
This wouldn't be the first time a cartoon teased a separate continuity or spinoff in its post-credits scene. Teen Titans Go! to the Movies ended with a post-credit scene hinting at the return of the original Teen Titans, a crossover that would later become the film, Teen Titans Go! vs Teen Titans.
JUST FOR THE FANS
At the very least, the new Masters of the Universe series can feature visual teases for its Netflix sibling. Perhaps He-Man's power-up sequence can, at some point, allude to She-Ra's transformation sequence.
At the very least, the revival should -- and can easily -- pay tribute to the legacy of the original series while still offering new fans something fun to reward their loyal viewing.