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The Music of Superman
July 15, 2025Listen to the episode
Composers John Murphy and David Fleming join guest host Jon Burlingame to discuss their original score for “Superman,” directed by James Gunn. In this two-part conversation, Murphy and Fleming share their personal connections to the character, the emotional and thematic goals of the music, and the creative process of scoring an iconic superhero story for a new generation. They also reflect on the legacy of John Williams’s original theme and how it influenced their approach.
Everyone who works in film music reveres John Williams, and that score is kind of a gem of film music. So to be asked to explore the DNA of that theme was a privilege, but definitely a humbling privilege. You are confronted with this truly iconic theme… But at the same time, there still felt like there was a lot to explore within the confines of that theme… I remember, I was having a meeting with James [Gunn] and I said, the part of the John Williams theme that always really touched me is the end… There's something about it that's hopeful. Really, really hopeful. And I started playing around with it with some different chords, and I could tell James was getting sort of moved by it. It felt like we were discovering something and finding something new that fit his Clark Kent and his Superman, as well.
David Fleming, Composer, “Superman”