There are few composers whose name recognition extends beyond movie fans to portions of the general public, and Hans Zimmer is one of them. The composer has written the score for such iconic films as Gladiator and Inception, and he won an Oscar for his work on The Lion King. But in recent years he has been known for being the go-to composer on superhero films like Batman v Superman, The Dark Knight and The Amazing Spider-Man 2. But not long ago, the director had said that he was retiring from scoring superhero films, citing a difficulty to come up with something fresh and original each time. Well, his retirement was short-lived, because it seems that he will be returning to superhero films for X-Men: Dark Phoenix. It was none other than Quicksilver himself, Evan Peters, who let the cat out of the bag, saying:
I think the film is gonna be incredible. Hans Zimmer's scoring it; I don't know if I was supposed to say that or not. Simon has surrounded himself with incredible people, and Simon knows this world better than anybody, so it was just cool to see him---he's so happy and in his element in that world and also being able to direct and guide everybody in this way. I was very happy for him. And I think it's gonna be great.
Way to go, Quicksilver. Speaking with MTV's Happy Sad Confused podcast while at Sundance, Evan Peters seemingly confirmed that like a phoenix rising from the ashes of self-imposed genre retirement, Hans Zimmer is returning to superhero films. Hans Zimmer is a very talented composer, so he brings a lot to the table for this film. The Dark Phoenix story is expansive and grand, while also being one of heartache and loss. The film adaptation needs a composer up to the task of conveying all of that with the wonder and gravitas it deserves, and Hans Zimmer is certainly capable of that. A powerful score would go a long way towards finally giving fans of the characters and the Phoenix story the X-Men film that they have longed to see.
The one thing about Hans Zimmer returning to superhero films for X-Men: Dark Phoenix that gives me pause is his reasoning for leaving the genre in the first place. If he felt he had musically done all he could and said all he had to say for these kinds of movies, that could signal a potentially run of the mill and uninspiring score for this film. However, if he is returning to the genre, the hope is that he has new ideas and is excited to implement them for a new story. The composer hasn't played in the X-verse before and perhaps he is excited to tackle these new characters in a potentially cosmic tale.
X-Men: Dark Phoenix is part of a big year for the X-verse and could possibly be the last true team X-Men film from Fox if the characters do wind up heading back to Marvel for a reboot. If that's the case, hopefully Hans Zimmer can send the franchise out on a stirring high note. X-Men: Dark Phoenix blazes its way into theaters on November 2.
