As I wrote in my Superman (2025) review, I was disappointed in this movie and the music written for it, especially since it was the first film in James Gunn’s newly created DC Universe. I was hoping that the new Supergirl film, set in that same universe, would not share that fate, but with the composer being replaced not just once but twice during production, my hopes started to diminish. A composer replacement is usually a bad sign because their music may not have matched the director’s vision or failed to land with the test audience, meaning changes need to be made at the last minute. I don’t know the exact reason, but I do know that Ramin Djawadi and Tom Holkenborg have very different musical styles, which tracks with my suspicions. With both Djawadi and Holkenborg being replaced, the assignment was given to Claudia Sarne as the third composer working on this film.
I was not familiar with Sarne’s work, which made the choice an intriguing one. She has been in the business for more than 20 years, but hasn’t written music for a high-profile film before. When someone has to take over scoring duties in a situation like this, the choice is usually a well-established composer who is known for being able to deliver on short notice. I was certainly hoping for some fresh musical ideas by Sarne, but what I didn’t expect was to be blown away by the quality of the main theme, which you can find in the three-minute piece “Supergirl Suite.” The theme blends electronics, orchestral elements and electric guitar, and the melody is powerful and emotional. It is perfect for a young adult of extraordinary physical strength, but who is mentally not in a fantastic place. For me, the best way to know if a theme is any good is whether I keep listening to it, and I have been blasting this theme through my speakers and headphones ever since I saw the movie.
The theme appears at several moments in the film. In the finale of “Argo, Pt. 2,” you get a slow emotional version of the theme, fully orchestral with a bit of choir. There is another sentimental version to be found in “Silent Scream,” building up to a climax before fading away again. In “Supergirl,” the theme unfolds brilliantly across the whole track and reflects the more powerful and determined side of the heroine. Lastly, the film features a brief interaction between Supergirl and her cousin, which can be heard in “Clark’s Apartment,” where hints of her own theme and the iconic Superman theme play off each other.
With the main theme established, it is time to talk about the rest of the score, and that is where things start to slip. While I really like the main theme, which represents Kara Zor-El as Supergirl extremely well, the music for Krem and Lobo are not that interesting. Krem gets a motif of three long electronic-sounding notes, and Lobo, who looks like a metalhead with his flying chopper bike and leathers, gets a theme with electric guitars. The guitars suit him, but the music written for them is rather tame for one of the greatest anti-heroes in the DC Universe. You can hear both musical representations in “Krem” and “Lobo.” The rest of the music that ties the scenes together, except for the main theme integrations, has the same problem. The music does what it is supposed to do, supporting the visuals, story and dialogue, but it never stands out.
When I watched the movie, there were quite a few parts that I liked, but it also had spots where I was rolling my eyes. With James Gunn involved, Supergirl carries the same silliness as his other work, and that doesn’t fit with this story. In short, I think Supergirl had some potential, but did not completely deliver, and the same is true for the music: the theme is fantastic, but the rest of the music is not at the same level. I suspect time constraints were the reason. It makes me curious about what Sarne would have written if she had been the composer from the start of the project. Maybe this would have been a soundtrack-of-the-year contender if that was the case, because the main theme, with its excellent variations in the soundtrack, is superb, and I would have loved to hear more of that in the rest of the score.
Listen or buy
- Buy this soundtrack from Amazon or Apple Music
- Listen to this soundtrack on Spotify
Tracklist
The highlights are in bold.
- Supergirl Suite (3:05)
- Bar Fight (2:50)
- Krypton Destroyed (1:53)
- Argo, Pt. 1 (2:31)
- Argo, Pt. 2 (2:59)
- Cat and Mouse Hunt (3:01)
- Silent Scream (1:29)
- Lobo (2:56)
- Krem (2:27)
- The Battle (2:28)
- Flying Through Space (2:15)
- Sklarian Raiders (3:00)
- Vigilantes (Space Cowgirls) (2:30)
- The Cave (3:14)
- Supergirl (2:58)
- Poisoned (2:56)
- Ruthye (2:16)
- Clark’s Apartment (1:38)
- Reunited (3:05)
Total length: 49 minutes
WaterTower Music (2026)
