The latest piece of score forThe Batmanhas launched on streaming services. Michael Giacchino’s new track, simply titled “The Riddler,” proves a haunting teaser for what’s to come in the new movie.
Giacchino is a long acclaimed film composer, working on Pixar films includingThe Incredibles,Ratatouille,andUp, which he won an Oscar for. He’s also scored largerblockbusters such asSpider-Man: No Way HomeandStar Trek Beyond. Having worked with director Matt Reeves before, composing thePlanet of the Apesmovies, it’s hard to imagine a more fitting composer forThe Batman.
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This five-minute piece serves as a great complement toThe Batmantheme. While Giacchino makes the Caped Crusader sound bold, brooding, and heroic, he takes a much more somber and disturbed portrayal for The Riddler. This is well in line with the new film, as this Riddler is directly inspired by real life mass murderers like the Zodiac Killer, which is obviously a far cry fromJim Carrey’s kooky RiddlerfromBatman Forever.
The use of choirs through the piece harken back to another famousBatmanscore. Danny Elfman used similar vocals throughout Tim Burton’sBatman Returns,which worked in favor of its gothic, horror-influenced tone. Considering how Matt Reeves previously madeLet Me In(which Giacchino also scored), he could very wellbring back some horror toThe Batmanseries. This would be a wise decision, as Batman is the one superhero who works well with influences from any genre.
Music has always been integral toBatmanmovies, more so than even most superhero franchises. Everyone fondly remembers Elfman’s work on the Burton films, Eliott Goldenthal’s scores for the Joel Schumacher films, and the Hans Zimmer & James Newton Howardcollaborations for Christopher Nolan’sThe Dark Knighttrilogy. And more recently, Hildur Guðnadóttir won an Oscar for scoringJoker, a rarity for women in the field.
Considering all the memorable scores inBatmanhistory, it sounds tough for Giacchino’s music to live up to that. But if these first two tracks are anything to go by, Giacchino is absolutely doing justice to the Caped Crusader, and his soundtrack will be key toThe Batman’s success.
The Batmanis scheduled to premiere in theaters on Jun 29, 2025.
