‘Masters of the Universe’ Creator Roger Sweet’s Wife Starts GoFundMe Due to Declining Health

Amazon is prepping to add a new chapter to the Masters of the Universe franchise in 2026 with a new movie, which will be the first live-action take on the story since the 1987 film of the same name. Starring Nicholas Galitzine, Jared Leto, Morena Baccarin, and more, the film will center on Adam Glenn, the Crown Prince of the planet Eternia, as he returns from Earth as an adult and rediscovers his lost birthright, becoming the heroic He-Man. However, while excitement is building around this movie’s release, one of the franchise’s biggest names is going through some major struggles.

In a GoFundMe post, Marlene Sweet, the wife of Roger Sweet (the creator of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe), revealed that he was diagnosed with dementia. He now lives in a full-time care facility after his condition progressed over the last few years. After asking him about bad bruising on his body, Roger replied that he did not recall falling or getting injured and was disoriented. She took him to the emergency room, and he was admitted to the ICU with two brain bleeds.

She moved Roger into a full-time care facility as his mental decline continued, which is said to cost $10,200 per month to stay there. Once those costs began piling up, she started a GoFundMe page, asking the public for financial assistance with her husband’s care.

Additionally, MovieWeb reached out to Marlene for comment on the situation. She urged to let the fans know “how much their support is appreciated” and how special it is that so many people care so deeply for Roger and his work on Masters of the Universe, also commenting on the state of healthcare coverage in the United States:

“Please let all the fans know how much their support is appreciated. It is incredible that all these people love Roger’s creation so much and care about him. Most of us have no idea about the cost of memory care and that it is not covered by Medicare. Hopefully someday this will change. Thank you – and please send thanks to all the fans from us.”

‘Masters of the Universe’ Creator Struggles While Amazon Film Hopes for Success

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Seeing struggles like these for someone so influential towards the success of one of the biggest franchises in the world of fantasy is certainly disheartening enough on its own. However, these challenges are only compounded by what fans know about the upcoming Amazon movie based on Sweet’s work, which will come to theaters as one of the year’s biggest expected summer hits.

Reportedly, Amazon allocated approximately $200 million to the new Masters of the Universe movie, expecting it to be a box-office hit.

Unfortunately, even with Amazon being one of the biggest companies on the planet, it is disheartening to hear that the creator of a franchise expected to inspire one of 2026’s biggest movies is not getting the kind of financial help many feel he has earned for the work he has put in.

While fans will continue to stay in tune with Sweet’s progression as he deals with his dementia diagnosis, all eyes will also be on Amazon to see if the studio takes notice of what is happening to one of its biggest collaborators of the year.

Masters of the Universe is set to debut in theaters on Jun. 5, 2026.