With the highly anticipated release of Zack Snyder’s Justice League, fans have been eager to learn more about the making of the film. Snyder has been busy promoting the movie, discussing behind-the-scenes details while giving greater context to his creative choices. Now, the film's composer, Junkie XL, has released a video where he breaks down the theme used for Ezra Miller’s The Flash.
Junkie XL is the stage name of Thomas Holkenborg, a Dutch musician, composer, DJ, and engineer who has worked alongside fellow composer Hans Zimmer on previous Zack Snyder films, Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. After Snyder left Justice League back in 2017 and was replaced by director Joss Whedon, composer Danny Elfman was brought in to score the film, replacing Holkenborg. Once Snyder was brought back to complete Justice League, he hired Junkie XL back to compose his version of the score.
One of the many big changes between the Snyder cut and the theatrical cut was its score. When the Snyder cut was released fans, were quick to point out how much more “intense” Holkenborg’s score was when compared to the theatrical version of Justice League. While Elfman is known for creating whimsical and catchy scores, particularly for the films of director Tim Burton, his original music didn’t really fit with Snyder’s vision. While Elfman’s score would have been more at home with Tim Burton's Batman, Snyder clearly wanted a more distinct and intense sound for his cut of the film, closer to what was used in his previous DCEU films.
In the video, Holkenborg is specifically breaking down the score used for the Flash. He shows off all of the different instruments used to create the theme and how he edits the music together in his studio. The track, which is titled "At the Speed of Force," is used primarily during the scene where Barry Allen, a.k.a The Flash, runs faster than the speed of light, entering into what’s known as the Speed Force, allowing him to reverse time so that Superman (Henry Cavill) and Cyborg (Ray Fisher) can separate the Mother Boxes before it’s too late.
In the comics, the Speed Force is a cosmic energy field that pushes time and space forward and allows Flash and other ‘speedsters’ to use their powers. The Scarlet Speedster has used his ability to enter the Speed Force to alter reality, such as in the DC comic story arc Flashpoint, which may serve as inspiration for the Flash's upcoming solo film. It’s also probably how the character was able to travel back in time and warn Bruce Wayne about the future in Batman v Superman at the end of the ‘Knightmare’ sequence.
Known for his heavily electronic and epic film scores, Junkie XL recently scored the Warner Bros. monster movie Godzilla vs. Kong and is also known for his previous work on George Miller’s high-octane action movie Mad Max: Fury Road. You can watch the full video on Junkie XL’s YouTube channel, which features other videos where he breaks down his other film scores.
Zack Snyder’s Justice League is available to watch on HBO Max.
Source: Junkie XL | YouTube