I sat in my parked car with the trailer on repeat and a pair of headphones too loud. The second chorus hit and I realized the film might live or die on its music. You should hear this before anyone else tells you what it means.
I’ve listened to both early versions of Daniel Pemberton’s “Eternia” and I’ll say it plainly: they make you care. One is the tighter end-credits cut that opens with guitar strings; the other starts with a chorus and gets there in a different way. Both grow into something muscular and strange, exactly the kind of science-fantasy soundtrack that trailers for Masters of the Universe have been promising.
On a looped trailer in my feed, one riff kept repeating — what “Eternia” actually sounds like
You’ll notice structure right away: the end-credits version is a little longer and eases in with guitar strings while the other drops in with choral force. Daniel Pemberton builds tension like a pro—sparse at first, then relentless. The arrangement tips a hat to Mark Mothersbaugh’s work on Thor: Ragnarok without copying it; it borrows that neon-synth swagger and steers it into Pemberton’s idiom.
When does Masters of the Universe come out?
The film lands in theaters on June 5. The full score is scheduled to hit streaming platforms and digital stores around the movie’s release so you’ll be able to queue it on Spotify, Apple Music, or whatever platform you prefer the moment reviews and box office chatter start rolling in.
Pemberton’s fingerprints are all over recent genre hits — he scored Project Hail Mary, which has kept his name in conversation this year — and that gives this release built-in momentum. If you follow composers on YouTube or check credits on IMDb and streaming playlists, the crossover will be easy to spot.
Over coffee I heard someone say “Brian May?” — why his presence matters
Yes: Brian May plays on both versions of “Eternia.” That matters because his tone is instantly recognizable. His guitar is a spotlight in the mix, carving a path through synths and choir. For casual listeners, Queen’s association is a headline; for die-hards, it’s a tonal signature that can make promotional trailers feel like events.
Who composed the Masters of the Universe score?
Daniel Pemberton composed it. If you follow film music on platforms like SoundCloud or the film-score community on Reddit, you’ll see Pemberton’s name attached to a string of inventive projects that blend electronic textures with orchestral heft.
There’s also a marketing logic here: studios notice when a soundtrack has legs. Disney’s choice to pepper Tron: Ares with Nine Inch Nails was a reminder that pairing a recognizable act with a score can broaden an audience. MGM could lean into May’s involvement to pull in listeners who might otherwise skip a toy-based reboot.
Is Brian May on the soundtrack?
He is. May’s guitar appears on both cuts of “Eternia,” and he delivers the kind of lead work that’ll get social clips and reaction videos trending. If you’re following Queen-related news feeds or guitar forums, this will be the talking point.
Pemberton has earned his reputation by shaping scores that live beyond the theater. This one sounds like it will, too. The mix sits between arena rock and cinematic choir — Pemberton’s score is a rocket strapped to a cathedral — and that uneasy marriage is where modern blockbuster music finds its hooks.
If you care about who’s scoring the next wave of sci-fi and fantasy—whether you read io9, check composer interviews on YouTube, or follow labels that release film scores—you should notice how this pairing between Pemberton and May sets the tone for the movie’s cultural footprint.
Masters of the Universe hits theaters on June 5; the full album will arrive on music platforms around that date. Will the soundtrack turn the movie into a cultural event or simply sound good on repeat playlists—what do you think?