Warner Bros. Refused To Give Cavill's Superman One Iconic Thing In Man Of Steel
In the cinematic landscape of the early 2010s, there was arguably no film more eagerly anticipated than Zack Snyder's "Man of Steel." And few films of the era arrived with such mixed responses, with critics and audiences pretty sharply divided on Snyder's attempt to re-invent the Superman saga for a new generation of movie lovers. Still, Snyder was seemingly given access to any and every tool he needed to make the film, save, it seems, for the iconic "Superman" theme that John Williams' composed for the original 1978 feature film.
"Man of Steel" was hardly hurting on the original music front, with works from two-time Oscar winner Hans Zimmer backing the action. But Snyder's super-powered opus was notably the first big-screen "Superman" project not to include Williams' beloved composition, and yes, even those who loved "Man of Steel" likely couldn't help but notice its absence. As it turns out, Snyder may not have had any choice in leaving Williams' theme out of his film, as longtime collaborator Jay Oliva claims that the stipulation was made by higher-ups at Warner Bros.
Oliva made that assertion in a 2022 post to X (formerly Twitter) after first noting Snyder adores Williams' theme as much as anyone. "[T]he studio wouldn't let us use it because they wanted something new for this 'Superman,'" the filmmaker claimed, indicating that Warner Bros. actually forbade Williams' music from appearing in Snyder's "Superman" reboot in any form.
John Williams' Superman theme did eventually make a handful of appearances in the greater DCEU
It might've been difficult for some to watch Henry Cavill don the cape and patrol the skies over Metropolis without the themes conjured by John Williams. But we'd be remiss in failing to point out that Williams' work has actually popped up in a few other big screen DC projects over the years, signaling a change in thinking by the folks at Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment.
The first time Williams' theme graced the DCEU, it appeared in a most unexpected way, with Danny Elfman subtly borrowing a few notes during a scene in which Superman battles his would-be Justice League allies. As Elfman told Billboard in 2017, he was thrilled to wink at Williams' cue in such a way, saying, "I also had two minutes where I had the pleasure of saying, 'Let's do John Williams' 'Superman.” And that for me was heaven." He'd later acknowledge the change in thinking at Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment by adding, "The people at DC are starting to understand we've got these iconic bits from our past and that's part of us, that's part of our heritage — we shouldn't run away from that."
Even still, some bitter YouTube comments reflect that fans were pretty divided with how Elfman used Williams' unabashedly heroic notes. But judging from comments accompanying clips of Superman's brilliant "Shazam!" cameo, and that brief post-credits scene from "Black Adam," they're very much on board with the music's more hero-appropriate use. The question now becomes whether James Gunn will follow suit and incorporate Williams' theme into his upcoming "Superman: Legacy."