James Gunn wanted his Superman score to carry John Williams’s familiar theme into new territory—not simply reuse the 1978 music unchanged. Gunn said composer John Murphy began work before the screenplay was finished, and described a score that moves from Williams-derived material into music that sometimes recalls the classic theme and sometimes is purely Murphy’s. Composer David Fleming later said he was drawn to the theme’s hopeful ending while exploring new chords for Gunn’s Clark Kent and Superman.
Does James Gunn’s Superman use John Williams’s theme?
Yes, but Gunn described the goal as making a new version of it for this film, not reproducing the earlier score wholesale. In DC’s December 20, 2024 account of the teaser, Gunn said he had considered doing something completely different. He decided the Williams theme was so closely associated with Superman that the film should incorporate it in some way, while still looking forward.
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Gunn also explained why the music mattered to him personally: as a child, it was what he took home from the original film. That memory helps explain why the choice was not only a question of musical continuity. DC’s teaser analysis describes Murphy’s teaser cue as a modern-day reimagining of Williams’s classic theme.
How does the score balance the familiar theme with new music?
Gunn characterized the score as a combination rather than a single extended quotation. Some pieces, he said, “hearken back to the Williams theme,” while others are “purely John Murphy.” That distinction matters: his description does not mean every cue quotes Williams or that the entire score is derived from the old theme.
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The creative choice sits between two approaches: abandoning Williams’s theme for an entirely new musical identity, or bringing it forward in a form that can belong to this film. Gunn’s comments support the aim of preserving recognition while making room for Murphy’s own material; they do not establish a cue-by-cue comparison or settle how listeners will judge the balance.
What did the composers say about creating the new music?
John Murphy began work early
Gunn said Murphy started composing before the screenplay was finished. Variety’s coverage of the teaser Q&A adds that early score sketches were played on set during filming. The sources establish an early start, but do not describe the full workflow or identify which finished cues came from those sketches.
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David Fleming focused on the theme’s hopeful ending
On Dolby Creator Talks on July 15, 2025, composer David Fleming described being especially moved by the ending of Williams’s theme, which he called “hopeful. Really, really hopeful.” He said he experimented with different chords and felt the process was “discovering something and finding something new that fit his Clark Kent and his Superman, as well.” Fleming’s account speaks to his own response and creative process; it should not be taken as a full technical description of the score.
Dolby Creator Talks’ episode page credits John Murphy and David Fleming with the original score. Soundworks Collection’s composer feature also lists both as composers.
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Who composed the Superman score?
John Murphy and David Fleming are credited with the film’s original score. Gunn’s comments about Murphy’s early work and Fleming’s remarks about exploring the hopeful quality of Williams’s theme offer different perspectives: one on the score’s development during production, the other on how a composer found a new idea within a familiar musical reference.
Quick Recap
What this does—and does not—tell us about the score
- Gunn wanted a version of Williams’s theme adapted for the new film, rather than an unchanged return to the earlier score.
- His description allows for both music that recalls Williams and pieces he called purely Murphy.
- Fleming’s comments identify the theme’s hopeful ending as a source of inspiration and mention experimenting with different chords.
- These accounts do not provide a cue-by-cue breakdown, a specific arrangement, or a basis for claiming that every part of the score quotes Williams.
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