Having been hit by a number of legacy sequels in recent years, it’s pretty clear that, as an audience, nostalgia is our kryptonite. On the other hand, a return to a franchise can silence the naysayers the moment they hear a few notes of a familiar score that will have us sitting up in our seats and our chests swelling involuntarily. That’s what many fans no doubt felt when, while looking at the impressive new poster for James Gunn’s “Superman” (a movie that really needs to work)caught the gentle breeze of John Williams’ unmistakable theme for 1978’s “Superman: The Movie.” “Superman” (as far as we know) is not a legacy sequel, but it wouldn’t matter at all if it still uses Williams’ music.
Given the amount of fire emojis and praise piled on the sheet reveal, people are happily expressing their delight at the reapplication of the beloved composer’s work to this new version of DC’s poster boy. Other people, however, were not so happy. Beyond X, one user wrote“The fact that they’re using the John Williams theme from the Christopher Reeves movies already confirmed to me that this movie will be dead on arrival.” Others have expressed hope the theme is reused exclusively for the trailer; as another user posted it“Can we retire John Williams’ ‘Superman’?”
But why? What unwritten rule is there that says a reboot of a familiar hero has to come with an entirely new theme song? Sure, it could send us on a musical trip down memory lane, but that’s a risk franchises shouldn’t be afraid to take. Superman shouldn’t have to listen to completely new music every time a new actor plays him, especially when a certain secret agent with a license to kill hasn’t changed his own theme song since 1962.
James Bond has never changed his tune, so why should Superman?
Just as a few trumpet blasts from John Williams’ “Superman: The Movie” theme immediately send shivers down the spine, so does listening to the brass section blast out a bit of John Barry and Monty Norman’s iconic theme to James Bond. In a musical microcosm, a property that reuses the same theme over and over again is the kind of thing fans hate to see. That makes it even more impressive that the James Bond franchise has gotten away with this for over 60 years.
Before Daniel Craig’s time as a secret agent, the connections between each Bond film were very thin. James Bond himself was played by several actors.just like all the Q, Ms and Moneypenny. Even Blofeld, Bond’s old nemesis in the franchise, has been played by different actors, from Donald Pleasance to Telly Savalas, and yet audiences have never been moved (or moved) by hearing the classic Bond theme every time. who visit James. If the iconic member of Her Majesty’s Secret Service gets a pass, then there’s no reason The Last Son of Krypton shouldn’t either.
Considering the composer working on Gunn’s “Superman,” it’s entirely possible that Williams’ classic score will, in fact, be incorporated into the film. gunn announced Earlier this year, his “The Suicide Squad” and “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” collaborator John Murphy will score the Man of Tomorrow in his film. As a songwriter who doesn’t follow the rules, Murphy You could very well integrate some of Williams’ work in any way you see fit. This would also set a precedent for other franchise reboots to follow suit and make this type of approach more common in the future.
More franchise reboots could end up using old theme songs
Listen Tom Holland’s The Wall-Crawler has tackled a grander version of the ’60s “Spider-Man” cartoon theme. “Ms. Marvel” set the stage for the X-Men’s debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe when he used the ’90s theme from “X-Men: The Animated Series.” They weren’t the first to do something like this and they certainly won’t be the last, simply because those theme songs are absolutely brilliant. In fact, I’ll bet my broom that every time Max’s “Harry Potter” series comes around, Williams’ work on the “Harry Potter” movies will be incorporated to add some extra magic to that reboot as well. That’s not to say that new composers shouldn’t dare to add their own contribution to whatever iteration of a franchise they’re helping to bring to life, but just as some characters and their worlds get revised, the same should be true for the music they create. helped kick off the journey of a property on screen in the first place.
As for “Superman,” if anything, the use of Williams’ music should, along with the gorgeous color scheme reminiscent of Richard Donner’s original movie poster, convince fans of the idea that Gunn has a winner on his hands here, one that keeps the memory of one of the best and most beloved iterations of the Man of Steel close to his chest. Like Kal-El himself, Williams’ Superman theme is invulnerable, so don’t bother trying to fix what’s never broken.
“Superman” opens in theaters on July 11, 2025.
