Superhero cinema has certainly taught us that no comic book film is complete without a killer theme for its eponymous hero. In just a few notes, superhero theme music can rev an audience up for the incredible feats they’re about to witness or tap into the decades of nostalgia that many of the most popular heroes have behind them. Though countless heroes have received their own big-screen themes, here are the five best.
John Williams, Superman (1978)
The grand-daddy of the modern superhero film strikes again. The fanfare-heavy main theme debuted in Richard Donner’s original film about the DC Comics hero, and nearly 40 years later, it remains one of composer John Williams’ most famous works (alongside his Star Wars theme, of course). Even throughout the last son of Krypton’s many iterations, the song is his most recognizable musical calling card. Filmmaker Bryan Singer even reused Williams’ theme in 2006 release Superman Returns in an effort to solidify his film’s status as a spiritual follow-up to Donner’s take on the character. Hans Zimmer offers a fresh musical approach to Superman in Man of Steel, and while that tune is strong, it is nowhere near as iconic as Williams’ version.
Danny Elfman, Batman (1989)
Tim Burton’s Batman established that Superman wasn’t the only comic book hero who could lead a big-screen adventure. The 1989 film hewed closer to the mid-1980s comic book incarnations of the Dark Knight than the campy 1960s TV series. So Burton needed just the right composer to capture the dark but still fun aesthetic of his film. Thankfully, frequent collaborator Danny Elfman — who had previously composed the music for Beetlejuice and Pee-wee’s Big Adventure for Burton — was up to the task. Elfman contributed a energetic, moody tune for Bruce Wayne’s alter-ego, instantly setting up Michael Keaton’s version of the character. Even the animated series that launched in 1992 kept Elfman’s theme in place. Wise move.
Danny Elfman, Spider-Man (2002)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qcJS_e2_hY
More than a decade after composing an unforgettable theme for Batman, Elfman returned to the superhero fold to do the same for this Marvel Comics hero. Centering on one of the most popular comic book heroes of all time, Spider-Man was a highly anticipated release that cemented the beginning of the superhero movie boom, and the webslinger needed a theme that would both grab audiences’ attention and prove that director Sam Raimi’s film was everything they’d hoped for. Using orchestral and choral elements, Elfman brought together the strangeness of Spidey’s origins in with the wonder and sense of adventure inherent in his first-ever trip to the big screen.
John Ottman, X2: X-Men United (2003)
With X-Men, director Bryan Singer helped kick off a franchise that still continues to this day, but its 2003 sequel was the one that gave the mutant team its most memorable theme music since the 1990s animated series. John Ottman’s relentless tune plays like a call to action for the X-Men, and its inclusion throughout Singer’s second film in the series made a lasting impression on fans. Case in point, the theme reclaimed its place in the opening credits of 2014 release X-Men: Days of Future Past, a project which marked Singer’s first film in the series in over a decade. By all accounts, it will likely be reprised once again when Singer and Ottman reteam for this year’s X-Men: Apocalypse.
Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard, Batman Begins (2005)
After Batman and Robin wrecked the Caped Crusader’s initial film franchise, the character needed a facelift, and director Christopher Nolan needed the perfect composer to craft the film’s music. After all, Danny Elfman’s iconic theme from the 1989 film still reigned supreme despite not appearing in a film since 1992 release Batman Returns. Nolan turned to acclaimed composers Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard to craft a heroic theme for Batman Begins, and the music wisely takes a very different approach to the material than Elfman’s version. Bombastic and bold, it lends the adventure an epic quality that only intensified in the 2008 sequel, a little film called The Dark Knight.
What’s your favorite superhero movie theme? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
