Teela is a force to be reckoned with in the new live-action He-Man flick, “Masters of the Universe.”
Played by Camila Mendes, Teela is the captain of the Royal Guard on Eternia, the alien world where He-Man and Skeletor duke it out. But, just as the film balances a wild blend of sci-fi, fantasy, comedy, action, and 80’s nostalgia, Teela balances her role as a serious warrior and leader with some seriously relatable emotional ties.
“Obviously, she is a very tough outer shell, but you get little glimpses of this, like inner sensitivity and empathetic side throughout,” Mendes told Space.com.
Teela does it all
Mendes finds this balance between Teela’s role as a battle-ready captain and her inner self by connecting to a place within the character that many may find relatable.
“I see her very much as this parentified child, somebody who had to grow up really fast, really young, and she’s had to take on so much responsibility and hasn’t really had a break,” Mendes said. “So I feel like that’s something a lot of people this day and age can relate to.”
Whether you see Teela as a parentified child or suffering from “eldest daughter syndrome,” the root of this pain is evident in the film. Between explosive chase scenes and sword-fighting, Teela’s inner sensitivity and pain are exposed most in her relationship with her on-screen father, Duncan, played by Idris Elba, who previously served as the captain of the Royal Guard before going down a darker path.
“There’s a bit of a strained relationship and a little bit of resentment,” Mendes explained.
But you can see some of that inner softness shine through in her relationship with Adam, or He-Man, as well. Rather than show the two as romantically linked, the film shows the two as they are: childhood friends from lifetimes and planets apart, slowly working through the awkward wall between them.
Becoming Teela
Playing Teela is not Mendes’ first time stepping into the world of science fiction. While based on the very much not sci-fi comic series “Archie,” the television show “Riverdale,” in which Mendes stars as Veronica Lodge, is unexpectedly laden with science fiction concepts, including time travel and alternate dimensions, In fact, just as there are Griffins flying over the land on Eternia, Riverdale has “Griffins & Gargoyles,” its own in-show spinoff of Dungeons & Dragons.
But to step into this role and become this warrior character, Mendes had to take things up a notch. And her preparation for the role went well beyond just acting. While Mendes worked with a stunt double for the movie, she also underwent intense training to really become Teela.
“The training process really felt like the perfect way to get into Teela’s body,” Mendes said. “Because Teela had to train as a young girl to get to where she’s at, so, through all the weight training and stunt training that I had to do, I felt like I was literally becoming Teela through that process.”
And He-Man isn’t the only one who “has the power” with a sword.
“I had a lot of sword training,” Mendes said, adding that “I had to do some rifle training because of her rifle staff.”
“And when I finally got those props, that’s when it really started to come together and come to life when I really got to hold her sword and hold her rifle staff,” she added. “These weapons are an extension of her in a way, so that really helped me sort of finalize her [Teela].”
“Masters of the Universe” hits theaters worldwide starting June 5.