Although some may not think it, a film’s score is more important to the overall viewing experience than one would imagine. Consider this: Music is such an invaluable tool when it comes to conveying the emotion or overall mood of a specific scene. Whether it be an attempt to get the audience to cry, make them jump from the cheapest of scares, or create the illusion that they’re in the thick of it with there favorite superheroes, the soundtrack can really be a director’s secret weapon.
That said, a fair amount of fans wonder to this day how Justice League would’ve differed had Junkie XL stayed on as composer. As you may have heard, he was shown the door once Joss Whedon replaced Zack Snyder in the director’s chair, with the new boss bringing in Danny Elfman, whom he’d previously worked with on Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Aside from the working relationship established by those two, one could only surmise that Elfman had been enlisted due to his past work on Batman and Batman Returns. Though both had their theatrical runs many years prior, it could be argued those flicks boasted the best scores to grace any cinematic offering to feature the Caped Crusader.
Regardless of that, Jon Arryn Garza is back at it, showing us how Justice League‘s third act Batmobile chase would’ve gone down had Junkie XL not have been given the boot. Having already done something like this, it appears that Garza has an affinity for the ousted composer’s music.
Though both versions certainly work, I’m split on how I feel about this certain situation. While Elfman’s reprisal of his Batman march plays to my nostalgia, that piece was developed for Michael Keaton’s iteration of the Masked Manhunter. Junkie XL’s, however, had already been established the year before in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, so it’s understandable why some can make a strong case for why it should’ve carried over to Justice League.
Tell us, which one do you prefer? Be sure to sound off in the usual place below!
