MAN OF STEEL: Warner Bros. Wouldn't Let Zack Snyder Use John Williams' Classic Superman Theme

MAN OF STEEL: Warner Bros. Wouldn't Let Zack Snyder Use John Williams' Classic Superman Theme

Man of Steel storyboard artist Jay Oliva has revealed that Zack Snyder hoped to use John Williams' classic Superman theme in the 2013 movie, but was eventually forced to head down a different route...

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By JoshWilding - Sep 20, 2022 06:09 AM EST
Filed Under: Man of Steel

Say what you will about Zack Snyder, but the filmmaker does seem to be a big DC Comics fan. Yes, he clearly has darker tastes than most, hence why Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was so heavily inspired by The Dark Knight Returns. However, it would be unfair to say he didn't at least try to bring some hope to Man of Steel. 

It turns out that almost included John Williams' classic Superman theme, something Snyder hoped to make use of for the hero's big screen return back in 2013.

Man of Steel storyboard artist Jay Oliva recently responded to a fan on social media to confirm that was the case. He explained, "that both Zack and I loved that theme but the studio wouldn't let us use it because they wanted something new for this Superman. It turned out to be a good thing because [Hans Zimmer's] theme was perfect."

As Oliva points out, this was indeed a very good decision by Warner Bros. (for once). 

Disgraced director Bryan Singer had already made use of Williams' theme in Superman Returns when he attempted to deliver a sequel to the classic movies starring Christopher Reeve. Despite an earnest performance from Brandon Routh, that movie disappointed on several fronts, so a fresh start was definitely for the best with Man of Steel.

Zimmer's own Superman theme proved to be nothing short of epic, and a piece of music we've heard a lot of over the past near-decade since the movie was released.

Unfortunately, there's still no indication that Warner Bros. Discovery plans to move forward with a Man of Steel sequel starring Henry Cavill, and rumours that the actor is heading to the MCU persist. 

What's your favourite Superman theme?
 

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GalactusEatsALL
GalactusEatsALL - 9/20/2022, 6:35 AM
Dj Magic Mike version is the best btw
DarthLaney
DarthLaney - 9/20/2022, 6:43 AM
It would have elevated the whole movie
r4dagast
r4dagast - 9/20/2022, 6:46 AM
I'm probably in the minority here but I think the MoS theme is better.
CamtonoOfBeskar
CamtonoOfBeskar - 9/20/2022, 7:06 AM
@r4dagast - Me too
Conquistador
Conquistador - 9/20/2022, 7:21 AM
@r4dagast - Agreed! Hans theme suited the movie so much better. to me it sounded like Power! where as the Williams theme sounds more like Hope. It worked well in some parts of Smallville, but otherwise i think it should just stay in the past. I wasn't feeling it too much in Superman Returns.
HagridsHole1
HagridsHole1 - 9/20/2022, 7:27 AM
@r4dagast -

I actually do as well. And that’s not a bash on John Williams version either, which was incredible, but I feel like it was more of a product of its time, which is fine. But I connected more with Zimmers version
TyrantBossMedia
TyrantBossMedia - 9/20/2022, 9:43 AM
@r4dagast - hum it
Nightwing1015
Nightwing1015 - 9/20/2022, 10:42 AM
The Williams theme is more iconic to the character than the MOS version. They should never make another Superman film without Williams theme. I think WB realised that when they stuck it into Justice League.
WarMonkey
WarMonkey - 9/20/2022, 6:49 AM
I really do like Man of Steel but maybe Warner saw the Pa Kent scene where he tells Clark that maybe he should have let all his friends, classmates, and most of the kids in his town die instead of saving them and thought "nope, Zack doesn't get the original music, this does not jive with the Boy Scout Superman theme at all!"
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 9/20/2022, 6:50 AM
I did love how Danny Elfman reprised it a bit in Justice League, but even then it had to be reworked to fit Snyder's dark Superman.
Origame
Origame - 9/20/2022, 6:52 AM
That's weird. Snyder continues saying his whole goal was to make a superman movie as if there's never been a superman movie before.
dagenspear
dagenspear - 9/20/2022, 12:39 PM
@Origame - I've felt that wasn't really an accurate concept, because I think everything MOS tries to do, was done more strongly written in things like Smallville. You want a flawed Jonathan Kent who struggles with keeping his son's identity a secret out of wanting to protect him, but also wants him to do the right thing? That's John Schneider's Jonathan Kent, to me. A Clark who broods and fears being close to people out of a fear of rejection, but also doesn't turn his back on people who seek help usually? Tom Welling's Clark Kent is that, to me. A Lex who isn't just a buff sociopath, but a softer person, struggling with the damaged relationship with his dad and whether he can or should follow in his footsteps? Michael Rosenbaum's Lex, to me, hits that and can pull the more sinister villainous elements of Lex, with a bit of humor and quirk to him, to me. All things Smallville, did, more emotional writing, with more sympathetic and personable characters, than MOS, to me.
bobevanz
bobevanz - 9/20/2022, 6:56 AM
Good, that'd be like playing Baby Shark in Jaws.
DrReedRichards
DrReedRichards - 9/20/2022, 7:05 AM
@bobevanz -
solskulldeath
solskulldeath - 9/20/2022, 7:10 AM
@bobevanz - I read somewhere in south America or Thailand,an inmate died because suffering from the looping baby shark song
Reeds2Much
Reeds2Much - 9/20/2022, 12:56 PM
@bobevanz - I would watch the hell out of that. In fact I wonder ...
TheManWithoutFear
TheManWithoutFear - 9/20/2022, 6:56 AM
I still have never seen MoS but i occasionally listen to the piano version of the theme on youtube. I always liked it, it's a mood.
Biggums
Biggums - 9/20/2022, 7:20 AM
F em! Junkie xl/Hans zimmer killed it.
First Flight n Their War Here still blow me away.
Twenty23Three
Twenty23Three - 9/20/2022, 7:21 AM
The right call, especially after Superman Returns. Like others have said here I love the Zimmer score it’s just as epic but works better for this iteration of the character
regularmovieguy
regularmovieguy - 9/20/2022, 7:25 AM
Zimmer’s Superman theme was 💯.
DanFlashesShirt
DanFlashesShirt - 9/20/2022, 7:32 AM
That Hans Zimmer was one if the best themes of all time.
TheShape9859
TheShape9859 - 9/20/2022, 7:34 AM
In 203 you say?
Fogs
Fogs - 9/20/2022, 7:40 AM
Hahah reminds me of RLM's MoS review.

All that death and destruction and the classic Williams' theme "ta tarantatannn ta ta tannnnn"
Moriakum
Moriakum - 9/20/2022, 7:51 AM
"Say what you will about Zack Snyder, but it's clear the filmmaker is a big DC Comics fan."
No he´s not.

Williams Superman theme is inspiring, uplifting and epic. Everything Snyder´s Superman isn't. Thank God WB didn't allow that hack to tarnish Williams iconic score.
dragon316
dragon316 - 9/20/2022, 8:26 AM
Hans zimmer theme was perfect but thing I have problem with his music some songs sound they are from different movies some I may have heard transformers bits put in there you can defiantly hear his music sound same in transformers trilogy he has each sequel sounds different but some songs in sequels sound like there from first movie in some parts of songs in sequel soundtracks , can defiantly hear Friday thirteen maybe some similar parts to man of steel with some songs in Friday 13 soundtrack he did.,

I enjoy his music make it different don’t have songs sound same from different movies you worked on
theFUZZ008
theFUZZ008 - 9/20/2022, 8:48 AM
John Williams>Hans Zimmer
Fares
Fares - 9/20/2022, 9:03 AM
Well good because it gave us one of Zimmer's best works.
elgaz
elgaz - 9/20/2022, 9:25 AM
I'm glad they didn't, and I'm a huge fan of Williams' theme. This was a totally new take on Superman, it had absolutely nothing to do with prior TV series or the Reeve films and using that older theme would have just blurred those lines. Anyhow, Zimmer's theme turned out to be fantastic. He did a tour with his orchestra and I recently watched their rendition of the theme on Youtube - worth a watch.

Kyos
Kyos - 9/20/2022, 9:38 AM
The Zimmer theme is really good, I liked it a lot. Too bad they shat the bed post-MoS.

The Williams theme is the Superman theme. I'd say no Superman movie quite lived up to it so far.
TyrantBossMedia
TyrantBossMedia - 9/20/2022, 9:50 AM
“ It turned out to be a good thing because [Hans Zimmer's] theme was perfect."

And nearly 50 years later we are still humming Williams’ amazing theme but couldn’t hum one note of Zimmers maudlin piece.

You can’t use Williams theme because it is a soaring and inspiring theme. Using it for this miserable Superman doesn’t work and changes the entire tone. It would actually make the movie enjoyable.

This video compares the change in tone of the scene perfectly with the two themes.
dagenspear
dagenspear - 9/20/2022, 12:25 PM
@TyrantBossMedia - I still think it's a bit odd that the action music keeps playing as he starts to fall. It's not as egregious to me as I once thought it was, but I wonder why it's done that way.
TyrantBossMedia
TyrantBossMedia - 9/20/2022, 12:30 PM
@dagenspear - Good point. That would have been accentuated better with a break to silence once he started to fall.
dagenspear
dagenspear - 9/20/2022, 4:27 PM
@TyrantBossMedia - I think similarly. It almost feels like it's supposed to be a record scratch moment or something like that, but the action music keeps on going. I think it almost feels like something some type of parody or something would do, to me, keep playing the heroic action music as the character fumbles at doing things.
Mixedsuperman
Mixedsuperman - 9/20/2022, 9:59 AM
Nothing beats the Williams Theme for me, however I do think its a little outdated. A modern reworking I would all game for. There are several on Youtube I listen to often. That said I love Hans theme also. The slow piano pieces are BEAUTIMUS!!! The drums are awesome as well. The only thing I'm not overly fond of is when the crescendo towards the end. It just kinds comes across as like a cheap trailer music song at that point. There are some vids on Youtube that combine the two scores and are heavenly!
THEDARKKNIGHT1939
THEDARKKNIGHT1939 - 9/20/2022, 10:50 AM
That was honestly a smart move by WB for once. New Superman, new theme.
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