The "Superman" Trailer Tells Us One Thing: We Need More Guitar Driven Movie Scores

Look up... [photo: DC Studios]

Yesterday (19th December), DC and Warner Brothers released the first teaser trailer for the upcoming 'Superman' film, written and directed by James Gunn. One major stand-out from this trailer is the music, composed by Brit composer John Murphy.

The film, starring David Corenswet as the titular pants-on-the-outside superhero, acts as a starting point for a brand new DC Cinematic Universe, helmed by co-studio heads Gunn and Peter Safran.

At the core of the teaser trailer is an electronic, synth-laden guitar reimagining of John Williams' classic Superman theme, perfectly suiting the vibe and feel the film is gearing up to be: paying homage to the past, whilst laying the foundation for the future.

The guitar mixed with minor orchestral elements make for a perfect combination, highlighting how well the two genres work together when executed properly.

Guitars mixing with orchestras isn't a new thing. We've had it with Metallica (S&M, 1 and 2). We've had it with Ghost. Sabaton are teasing it for their upcoming tour. Murphy himself has also implemented guitars on his score for 2021's 'The Suicide Squad'.

However, this is the sort of thing I know I could never have enough of. Let's see it appear in more movie scores. Sneak a distorted guitar riff into the next Nolan soundtrack.

The worlds of rock and orchestra are a perfect match for each other, it's only right we see it utilised more.

'Superman' hits UK cinemas 11th July 2025.

Check out the full score track (trailer version) below.