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Marvel, "Power Rangers" Maestro Brian Tyler Has Unlocked Secret To Superhero Themes


LOS ANGELES — It’s easy for the average moviegoer to think of superhero film scores as interchangeable in many ways, but composer Brian Tyler doesn’t see them that way.

“There’s kind of this certain vibe to superhero melodies,” he admits, noting they often share some feeling of triumph in their music. “I was really scared at first when I had multiple movies.”

Tyler cut his teeth with the Fast & Furious series — a Good vs. Bad action movie with a lot of similarities to superhero films. But has since developed a knack for Marvel films like Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World, and Avengers: Age of Ultron.

He’s also taken on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and most recently Saban’s Power Rangers.

“Hero themes are more varied than I think people realize,” he told the crew of SCORE: A Film Music Documentary, in an extended, never-before-seen interview available in the book SCORE: The Interviews on Amazon.

“Iron Man,” Tyler said, “is really this guy Tony Stark, who is snarky, charming, clever, billionaire playboy with a mechanical suit. He’s really a guy that’s invented something.”

“His theme had to almost have that feel. He’s very human.”

Contrast that with his score for Thor — a very different kind of hero, and one Tyler tried to reflect in his theme.

“He’s a demigod that kind of can do whatever he wants,” Tyler told the SCORE team. “He’s royalty.”

It made sense that Tyler would be brought in by Marvel to take on a larger role in shaping the music of the Avengers.

“You want continuity,” he revealed in the interview. “It was important for me to incorporate Ala