Somewhat obviously, the 1980s vibes in Masters of the Universe are very, very strong. The film’s color palette recalls the beloved 1983 cartoon series, and the film itself is a full-on tribute to the toyetic franchise, with more than a few winks at the absurdity of characters with names like He-Man, Ram-Man, and Fisto.
Cleverly, Masters of the Universe puts a contemporary spin on many of the franchise’s silly names, attributing some of these monikers to Adam’s childhood imagination. But in a movie filled with He-Man Easter eggs, there’s one surprising reference to a different sword-swinging franchise. Here’s why one musical cue is a huge reference to a different franchise with swords and magic, one that’s also preparing for a big comeback.
He-Man is Connected to... Highlander?
Early in the film, as Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) searches for his lost power sword on Earth, he gets arrested by two police officers after taking the sword from a comic book store. The cops joke that Adam must consider himself like Highlander, a reference to the Highlander franchise, specifically the original 1986 film in which the immortal Connor Macleod (Christopher Lambert) is also arrested and has his sword confiscated.
The notion that cops just randomly make Highlander jokes is inherently funny, as it seems highly unlikely to be the go-to reference for most people when they see a vintage sword being wielded today. But there’s probably some studio synergy at play here. Amazon MGM, the studio behind Masters of the Universe, is also producing the new Highlander reboot film, starring Henry Cavill and directed by Chad Stahelski. But the Highlander references in Masters of the Universe aren’t isolated to just one early joke: there’s a much bigger, and frankly, shocking Highlander Easter egg in the final act of the film.
“Princes of the Universe” was written by Queen for Highlander
In the last third of Masters of the Universe, when Adam leads the heroes of Eternia out of their jail cell and into battle, the accompanying needle drop is the 1986 song “Princes of the Universe,” composed by the iconic rock band Queen. Along with several other songs (including “A Kind of Magic” and “Who Wants to Live Forever”), “Princes of the Universe” was written and recorded specifically for Highlander. In fact, “Princes of the Universe,” with its epic “HERE WE ARE” opening lines, is the opening theme for the original Highlander film, as well as the 1990s TV series.
The fact that Masters of the Universe uses “Princes of the Universe” is a big deal, partly because it's like using the Ghostbusters theme song in a movie that isn’t part of the Ghostbusters franchise. It’s a weird and hilarious franchise crossover that, in the context of a He-Man movie, fits perfectly. There’s also some symmetry between the use of “Princes of the Universe” and the movie’s theme song from The Darkness, “Masters of the Universe.”
Interestingly, Masters of the Universe uses nearly the entirety of “Princes of the Universe,” including the upbeat extended bridge (“Fighting and free! Got your world in my hand!”), a part of the song generally not used in Highlander films. So, although Masters of the Universe evokes the hardcore fantasy action of Highlander, it also brings back the brighter and slightly sillier aspects of that iconic song. After all, magical swords have more than one side.
