And every James Bond actor shares a theme. There are examples on both sides.
Yes, exactly. Different franchises have different traditions. The tradition for Bond is to use the original theme. But for most of Superman's screen history, the tradition was to use a variety of different themes in the heroic-march template codified by Sammy Timberg at the very beginning. Williams's own theme was an homage to those that came before it.
It's interesting. I don't think any Tom Welling fans were offended when Williams's Superman theme burst forth in full-throated glory in Smallville's closing moments, rather than original music created for the show. Instead, it was perceived as a thrilling, triumphant affirmation.
Smallville is a mixed case. In its early seasons, Mark Snow scored it with the same kind of whiny, non-melodic atmospheric droning he used on
The X-Files, which I really disliked. The lack of a distinct original theme for Clark in that show was quite disappointing to me, and so it was also disappointing when Snow just started quoting the Reeve theme from time to time instead of putting in the effort to write a real theme of his own. It just seemed lazy, mere imitation rather than creativity. And it was hugely incongruous to go from his usual atmospherics to something as lushly melodic as the Williams theme.
In later seasons, Louis Febre took over as
Smallville's composer, and he brought a more melodic style to the music -- including a distinct heroic leitmotif for Clark in the tradition of Superman themes, which I rather liked. So I preferred it when Febre used his own Clark theme.
I feel like Cavill fans are uniquely sensitive to any perceived slight toward his version -- perhaps understandable, given how much criticism it received, and how much of that criticism was framed as unfavorable comparisons to Reeve. But I don't think linking him more fully to the character's 85-year legacy has to be seen as a negative. Quite the contrary.
To me, the one has nothing to do with the other. You're talking about musical themes as if they belong to the actors, but they belong to the composers. What I want is for composers to be creative rather than just copying their predecessors' work. Timberg, Klatzkin, Williams, Jones, Kiner, Gruska, Walker, Febre, Zimmer, Blake Neely, and others have all come up with their own distinct Superman (or Superboy/Clark Kent) themes, similar in melody and style but distinct creations of their own. (I could also throw in the excellent Supergirl themes contributed by Jerry Goldsmith and Neely.) I want to see that tradition of creativity and innovation continue, rather than be replaced by repetition and the mistaking of familiarity for quality.
