Warner Bros might not be starting a DC cinematic universe with "The Dark Knight Rises" and "Man of Steel," but at least those two upcoming films will have one big unifying thread. Hans Zimmer has signed on to score Zack Snyder's forthcoming Superman movie, meaning he will step into the very, very big shoes John Williams wore when he composed 1978's "Superman."
Variety broke the news yesterday, and the pairing certainly makes sense. Not only does Zimmer have a good relationship with Warner Bros, but he also has a great relationship with producer Christopher Nolan. Zimmer has composed the scores for "Batman Begins," "The Dark Knight," "Inception" and "The Dark Knight Rises," and his music has truly helped elevate each film. Let's hope that the same can be said of "Man of Steel."
So how much control is Nolan actually exerting over this production? We had assumed that it was mostly Snyder's film, but the fact that Zimmer has signed on to score the flick instead of Tyler Bates (who has composed all of Snyder's other movies) leads us to believe that Warner Bros and Nolan are being careful to make sure that "Man of Steel" -- to be blunt -- doesn't suck. Bates has done great work in the past, but Zimmer is one of the greatest composers of our time and we're thrilled to see what he can do with the Superman story.
Interestingly enough, Zimmer initially denied wanting anything to do with "Man of Steel" when rumors of his involvement first broke a year and a half ago. /Film unearthed a quote from the Oscar-winner where he said he doesn't want to be tasked with reinventing Williams' iconic "Superman" score.
"I’m not thinking of rewriting Beethoven’s ninth either. It just sounds like a thankless task, you know? So that’s unequivocally a no," he said. But he continued in a different interview, "You are allowed to reinvent, but you have to try to be as good or at least as iconic and it has to resonate and it has to become a part of the zeitgeist. That’s the job."
Are you excited to hear what Zimmer comes up with for "Man of Steel"? Tell us in the comments section below or on Twitter!
