Music for Superheroes

Film music has become more than sound added to enhance the excitement and suspense of a dramatic storyline. Music is the language of emotions. It gives voice to unspoken expressions of a film's characters and supports many dramatic emotions. Music can underline and focus on characters' psychological nuances, defining character motivations and augmenting personalities. In three-quarters of a century, superhero films have been a part of cinematic entertainment and musical dimensionality. From the clarion cry of Superman's "truth, justice, and the American way!" to The Avengers' iconic "Assemble!" film music enhances the cinematic through its passion and excitement. Some film scores feature bold, stalwart themes that convey a character's heroic integrity; other musical treatments emphasize the character's brooding nature; still others reflect the dangerous machinations of villains and anti-heroes. These moments touch sentiment and jeopardy in an audience's attachment to story, character, and excitement.

This book examines film and television superhero music from the early serialized cliffhangers of the 1940s through to today's vast heroic media franchises, demonstrating how cinematic music lends itself to understanding the bond between audience and celluloid. Through many detailed interviews with film composers, the treatment of music for superhero films is explored in detail.

Randall D. Larson was a senior editor and reviewer for Soundtrack Magazine, a columnist for Cinefantastique magazine's "The Score" from 1982-1995, and an interviewer of film composers and writer of soundtrack liner notes for many years. He lives in Eureka, California.

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