James Gunn's DCU is bringing back a major Snyderverse figure for Supergirl, who hasn't been involved at the studio since Zack Snyder's Justice League. DC Studios and James Gunn may have opted to pursue a reboot of the DCEU originally crafted by Zack Snyder, but that doesn't mean everyone who appeared in the old cinematic universe is done at the blue brand. The studio has already brought back John Cena, Jason Momoa, Viola Davis, and Joel Kinnaman in new or existing roles, and Gunn is reportedly open to bringing back more Snyderverse faces.
The official website for DC Studios' Supergirl confirmed that Dutch composer Tom Holkenborg (better known as Junkie XL) has taken over the score for this year's DCU blockbuster. Supergirl will mark Holkenborg's third DC composer credit and his first since 2021's Zack Snyder's Justice League.
Junkie XL worked with Hans Zimmer on additional music for Man of Steel before the duo co-composed Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The Dutch composer returned alone for Justice League, only to be fired and replaced with Batman's Danny Elfman when Zack Snyder departed the project, although he was brought back for the controversial filmmaker's director's cut on HBO Max in 2021.
The composer pivot must mark a recent change behind the scenes on Supergirl, as Ramin Djawadi of Iron Man and Game of Thrones fame had the credit in the teaser trailer's YouTube description just two months ago, in December.
This isn't even DC Studios' first late-game composer shift, as Gunn brought in David Fleming to join John Murphy on the Superman score in 2025, breaking a concerning record for the Man of Steel that became no issue for the DCU epic.
In many ways, Junkie XL's legendary high-octane rock opera score for Mad Max: Fury Road, combined with his DC experience in the Snyderverse, makes him the perfect man to compose for Lobo and the DCU's anti-heroic Supergirl.
The dramatic, emotional, and epic scores heard across the Snyderverse are among the most praised elements of Zack Snyder's DC trilogy, while often being applauded for adding to the mythic grandeur of the scrapped cinematic universe.
Junkie XL isn't the only SnyderVerse icon returning to DC for Supergirl, as former Aquaman actor Jason Momoa is re-entering the fray as Lobo. The cast also includes Milly Alcock's Supergirl, Eve Ridley's Ruthye Marye Knoll, Matthias Schoenaerts' Krem of the Yellow Hills, and David Corenswet's Superman.
Could Zack Snyder Ever Return to DC?
It goes without saying that, to this day, there is a vocal sect of fans who want Zack Snyder back at DC and James Gunn gone. It will be a surprise to many to learn that the two directors are friends and the now-DCU boss even penned the script for the Snyder-directed Dawn of the Dead in 2004.
As Jason Momoa and Junkie XL return to DC, one has to wonder if Gunn could one day find room for Snyder himself at the blue brand. The DCU slate already has the perfect project for the director in The Authority, or it would undoubtedly please many to see the SnyderVerse completed as an Elseworlds animated project.
For now, the filmmaker is busy in post-production on his upcoming war thriller, The Last Photograph, while the focus for DC Studios is on its 2026 slate, which includes Supergirl, Lanterns, and Clayface. But there's always hope that the two directors can one day find time for some kind of collaboration at DC.
