'Krypton' Pilot Incorporates the John Williams 'Superman: The Movie' Theme

Tonight's series premiere of Krypton might have introduced audiences to the Superman's home world two generations before its destruction, but it also incorporated one of the most memorable superhero themes of all time

Spoilers for tonight's series premiere of Krypton below.

When it comes to iconic film scores, composer John Williams is the man responsible for some of best known themes. His music for films such as Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and even Home Alone are instantly recognizable. Williams is also responsible for the score to 1978's Superman: The Movie, with the Superman fanfare and theme arguably the standard for superhero themes. There's just something about it that when you hear it, no matter where you hear it, that instant calls back images of Superman, red cape and all.

In tonight's premiere, Krypton incorporates elements of Williams' Superman theme as part of the music of the episode, helping to create just one more tie between the world of Krypton to the Superman audiences know. While the music of the episode all shares musical DNA with Williams' Superman theme, there are two specific places where you can hear it most clearly. The first is when Seg (Cameron Cuffe) and his mother, Charys (Paula Malcomson), arrive at Seg's grandfather's Fortress of Solitude. When the Fortress is revealed, you can clearly hear pieces of the Superman theme woven into the dramatic music. Those same strains return at the end of the episode when, after having been given Superman's cape, the and the camera pulls back and up to reveal Seg standing in the middle of the symbol for the House of El, the fanfare firmly anchoring Krypton in Superman's story.

These musical connections between Superman: The Movie and Krypton also helps cement the notion that part of what makes Superman the hero he is comes not from his upbringing in Kansas or his powers, but from his Kryptonian family heritage.

"We're just peeling back a lot more layers than probably what we've seen before," showrunner Cameron Welsh told reporters during a recent set visit. "When we've seen Krypton depicted in film before, it's right before it's about to explode. We probably don't go deep into the culture. We don't go deep into the way the society functions and the people that make it up. We get a bit of a sense of it. In most of the depictions, we touch on it but part of what's exciting about doing this, we get to get really specific and get really detailed and really get into this world. Again, if this is the planet that birthed the greatest hero of all time, what made that world so special? Of course, we can say that part of what makes Superman Superman is his upbringing on Earth under Martha and Jonathan Kent but I think another part of it must be baked into his DNA, it must be something to do with being Kryptonian. So what is that? That's part of what we explore in the show, what makes these people special? A lot of that is the House of El and the legacy of the House of El."

Krypton airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on Syfy.