Henry Cavill is back as Superman, and his scene after the credits in Black Adam brought back a familiar musical theme.
Henry Cavill Is Back as Superman in the DCEU
John Williams's Theme
Henry Cavill came back as Superman in the after-credits scene of Black Adam. Instead of Hans Zimmer's new Man of Steel score, John Williams' classic Superman theme was used.
Cavill's return as Superman has been talked about for a long time, especially since the new head of Warner Bros. Discovery told the public that Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman would be the franchise's main characters in the future.
Cavill's comeback in Black Adam brings him back into the DCEU, but it's not clear where the character will go from here.
There are some hints about what might happen with Cavill's return as Superman, though. The most obvious is that Black Adam's post-credits scene used John Williams' Superman theme instead of Hans Zimmer's.
There are two possible reasons why DC chose Williams' Superman score over Zimmer's for Cavill's return.
It could be because Williams' theme is more well-known to moviegoers in general, or it could be a sign of where DC plans to take Cavill's Superman in the future, a sign of a new era that is less tied to the DCEU's previous version of the character.
There is a lot of information about how hard it was for the DCEU to bring together its famous characters in stories that made sense, and it's possible that Warner Bros.'s new leadership wants to move away from that time.
The famously happy Superman theme song by John Williams could be exactly what the DCEU needs for a soft reboot of Superman, a hint at what's to come.
Cavill has hinted that his version of Superman will be more upbeat and inspiring, more like the comic book character, who stands for the best in people.
Williams' score fits better with that kind of story, which may be why Zimmer's music wasn't used for the scene after the credits in Black Adam.
Man of Steel, in which Henry Cavill played Superman for the first time, was the first movie in the DCEU. It was also the first movie in what is now called the Snyderverse.
Man of Steel was the first movie in a new era for DC movies. It was also a completely new take on the Superman mythos, so Hans Zimmer was brought in to make a score that fit this new Superman.
Zimmer's score is quiet and hopeful, and its crescendo shows how Superman becomes Man of Steel.
Snyder's version of Superman was a good character study, but it sometimes missed the point that Superman is, above all, a symbol of hope who inspires people to be the best versions of themselves.
Zimmer's take on Superman is very different from John Williams's Superman score from 1978. Williams's score is immediately happy and unapologetically positive, just like a hero should be.
If DC wants to go in a different direction with Henry Cavill's Superman, one that is closer to the source material, there is no better way to show that change than by using Williams' original theme.
Both Zimmer and Williams wrote music that was perfect for the kinds of Superman movies they were writing for, but one version will work better for the story that is being told now.
How well does John Williams' music go with Henry Cavill's Superman?
Superman
Henry Cavill Henry Cavill
Christopher Reeve was a famous actor.
John Williams's Theme
It's important to remember that a movie's soundtrack is an important part of the whole.
If Black Adam's composer Lorne Balfe and DC's executives thought that Williams' theme was the way to go, it's easy to see why.
It all depends on how the character is shown on screen.
If DC wants to take Superman in a boldly optimistic direction, the music should reflect that, and Williams' theme is their best choice right now.
It's not clear yet if Williams' music will be used in all future DCEU Superman projects, but that was the plan.
Since it's just a short scene in Black Adam, the music only had to convey a certain feeling, not Superman's whole past and future.
Cavill's comeback as Superman in Black Adam is definitely something to celebrate, no matter what music is playing.
