Why James Gunn always intended to use John Williams’ Superman theme

Even before that The “Superman” trailer has been released onlinethe world got a glimpse of what was in store thanks to the stunning poster accompanied by a sample of the film’s music from Rule-breaking composer John Murphy. Well, Murphy worked along with hints at John Williams’ famous theme in Richard Donner’s 1978 “Superman: The Movie” — and even if the Internet was against it, The inclusion of Williams’ topic here should not be open to debate. However, Gunn noted that he wasn’t overly focused on honoring what happened before his encounter with Superman, so why was Williams’ theme included in the first place? Will she have a major presence in the actual movie?

Well, just like the rest of the world whenever Superman is mentioned, Williams’ legendary tune was playing in Gunn’s head from the moment he started working on “Superman.” As he explained at a press event to launch the film’s trailer (with /Film’s Bill Brea among those in attendance), Gunn saw the inclusion of the theme as his way of “getting back into the past.” However, at the same time, the director knew that his Man of Steel would need his own music, which is why he enlisted “The Suicide Squad” and “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” Murphy to do the job. Gunn praised the composer for daring to incorporate Williams’ beloved theme into his music anyway, noting:

“What’s really amazing is how that leads to a lot of other pieces, some of which go back to Williams’ theme, but some of which are purely John Murphy, coming in, coming out, and being used beautifully throughout the movie.”

When it came to such an important element of Superman’s history, Gunn said he didn’t hesitate to explain his plans to his composer. Along with DC Studios co-president Peter Safran, Murphy was one of the first people to whom Gunn showed the “Superman” script, allowing him to begin work on the film’s music as quickly as possible. “And I said, ‘I want to use a version of Williams’ idea, but I want to do our own version of it.’ “And that’s what you’re hearing,” Gunn added.

Not that this approach is anything new for Gunn. As many people know, I write the soundtrack, the basic elements of the score in advance,” the director said, recalling how His creative process for the Guardians of the Galaxy films actually began with their soundtracks. “We play those roles on set while we’re shooting, and we did that with this. But it’s about finding that balance between novel and traditional, with everything in this movie, and where that line lies. And he accepts both of those things,” Gunn admitted.

All this talk about striking a balance and letting the old meet the new seems like an appropriate path to take with the kind of Superman Gunn has in mind: an old-fashioned force for good in a strange new world that might be struggling to find a place for himself. Thank God for these reassuring visions, even if only at the time When memorable movie themes seem to have disappearedYou’ll believe a man can try when “Superman” hits theaters on July 11, 2025.