One of James Gunn’s most prevalent calling cards as a director is his knack for choosing the perfect needle drops to complement the action on screen. This was a staple of the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy and carried over to Gunn’s DC films. Both The Suicide Squad and Superman make excellent use of music as well, helping key moments resonate with audiences. By now, it’s impossible to think about Superman‘s closing moments, where Kal-El happily watches home movies of the Kent family, without humming the tune of “Punkrocker.” As Gunn gears up to direct his Superman follow-up Man of Tomorrow, he’s delivered a strong hint that he isn’t changing his approach when it comes to films and music.
Videos by ComicBook.com
It’s December, which means it’s Spotify Wrapped time. Every year, people have fun using the feature to look back at their past year in music. On X, Gunn shared an edited playlist of his top songs, noting he couldn’t share his entire Spotify Wrapped because “ALL” of his most-listened songs are in Man of Tomorrow. This means the upcoming film should feature a catchy soundtrack, just like Gunn’s previous movies.
Why James Gunn Can’t Share Man of Tomorrow‘s Songs
On the surface, some fans may not understand why Gunn won’t share his complete top songs list. So much of the plot of Man of Tomorrow is being kept under wraps that there seemingly wouldn’t be much harm in revealing some out-of-context song titles. But the lack of concrete information regarding the film is exactly the reason why Gunn isn’t revealing the tracks. There probably isn’t a spoiler on the level of “Qui-Gon’s Noble End,” but just knowing the song titles could give fans clues about what Gunn has in store. He doesn’t choose songs just because they sound cool; his picks frequently augment individual moments and the movie’s overall tone. Right now, there’s no need to peel back the curtain on Man of Tomorrow.
It isn’t surprising to hear the entirety of Gunn’s top songs list consists of tracks he’s planning on using in Man of Tomorrow. The director is very meticulous when curating his soundtracks and has the songs picked out ahead of time. In the past, Gunn has actually played music during filming to help the actors get in the right mindset and rhythm for scenes, so he does everything he can beforehand to make sure he’s chosen the correct songs for the movie. This year, as Gunn was writing the Man of Tomorrow script, he obviously spent a lot of time listening to his mystery tracks to ensure they were exactly what he wanted.
Man of Tomorrow will surely make use of a traditional film score just like its predecessor (and Gunn’s other comic book adaptations, for that matter), but it’s also exciting to hear it will also include plenty of licensed music. The needle drops give Gunn’s films an extra dose of personality, perfectly blending with his sense of heart and humor. Whether it’s giving an epic action set piece a little punch (“No Sleep Till Brooklyn” in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3) or underscoring a poignant emotional moment (“Father and Son” in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2), any kind of scene in a Gunn movie can be enhanced with the right song. It’ll be exciting to hear his picks for Man of Tomorrow.
Unfortunately, it’s going to be a long time before fans get to add Gunn’s selections to their personal playlists. Man of Tomorrow doesn’t hit theaters until July 2027, and it probably won’t be until shortly before then when Gunn shares the official soundtrack. As a comparison, Gunn started posting playlists for Superman characters a week before that film hit theaters. So for now, all viewers can do is wait and theorize what songs will be in Man of Tomorrow.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
Most Viewed
-
Image courtesy of Lucasfilm -
Image Courtesy of Studio Pierrot
