James Gunn’s Superman is set to spark a new wave. Could DC’s upcoming films redefine alternative music’s role in pop culture, spotlight unconventional bands, and challenge what rebellion means today?
Words by Felix Bartlett | July 21, 2025
Superman has always been the ultimate square, the boy scout, the do-gooder, the hero who believes in truth, justice, and the American way. But in 2025, James Gunn’s Superman flipped the script, arguing that the Man of Steel isn’t just heroic, he’s punk rock. No really! The film’s central plot, delivered in a disarmingly sincere exchange between Clark Kent and Lois Lane, is that kindness, trust, and unwavering hope are the most radical acts of rebellion in a world drowning in cynicism. “Maybe that’s the real punk rock,” Superman says it, and to me, it felt like a wake-up call for a generation that’s tired of fake edginess. The movie’s end credits hammer the point home with Teddybears’ 2006 track ‘Punkrocker’, featuring Iggy Pop, a song that, until now, was basically collecting dust in my old mid-2000s alt-rock playlist. But in true 2025 fashion, the needle drop has sparked a revival, catapulting the Swedish band into the spotlight. Their newly launched TikTok account, which, let’s be fair, thrives on nostalgia and irony, has already gone viral. Their first video, featuring a man in a bear mask holding a sign that reads ‘being kind is the new punk rock,’ racked up over 100k views in just one day (at the time of writing).
This isn’t the first time Hollywood has acted as a gateway for alternative music to infiltrate the mainstream. For me, millennials and Gen Xers, the early 2000s were a golden age of soundtracks that doubled as mixtapes from the cultural underground. Simple Plan’s What’s New Scooby-Doo? intro theme was for me and a generation’s first exposure to pop-punk. Horror movies especially were a breeding ground for alt and metal crossovers: Freddy vs. Jason introduced a legion of teens (including myself) to Ill Niño and Killswitch Engage, Resident Evil brought Slipknot’s ‘My Plague’ to the masses, and even Scooby-Doo 2 (2002) sneakily featured tracks like Bowling for Soup’s ‘Here We Go’. Growing up, these soundtracks weren’t just background noise filling the void of my teenage years, they’re the reason I got into the music I still listen to today. And looking at the bigger picture, they also helped define entire subcultures.
Now the question is whether Superman is kicking off a new trend, where lesser-known alt bands start getting noticed again, thanks to big blockbuster movies. The unexpected resurgence of Teddybears suggests this may be the case. Formerly a grindcore band turned electronic-pop experimentalists, they have been granted a surprising second act through their inclusion in a superhero film, a story similar to Smash Mouth‘s ‘All Star’ which blew up after it was used in Shrek (although lets be frank the band were outsponkely pissed about that being the “only song their known for”).
What differentiates this instance, however, is intent. James Gunn’s use of ‘Punkrocker’ is not merely a nostalgic shoehorn into the movie, but rather, it aligns meaningfully with the thematic core of the film. The lyrics “I’m a punk rocker, yes I am” resonates with Superman’s ethos, reimagining rebellion not as destructive dissent but as an expression of compassion. It’s a far cry from the ‘90s, when rebellion in pop culture was louder, messier, and often lacked the emotional nuance Gunn brings to Superman (here’s looking at you Spawn).
So the question remains. What does this mean for the future? If DC sticks with the approach Superman has taken, we could end up with a cinematic universe that doesn’t just feature superheroes but also shines a light on offbeat, left-field bands. Imagine a Red Hood (DC Comics antihero and former Robin) movie soundtracked by IDLES, or a Swamp Thing horror flick scored by Creeper. The potential is huge, and the impact could be too. For every All Star, there’s a band like Teddybears, whose whole career can be transformed by one well-placed song in a film.
But maybe the bigger question is whether this hints at a real cultural shift. In a time when punk, and music in general, can feel more divisive than ever, Superman and Teddybears show that punk’s roots were never just about flipping off authority, but about fighting off hopelessness.
So, who’s up next? With punk’s spirit being reclaimed as something positive, maybe it’s time for a Justice League movie powered by The Chats’ chaotic energy, or the upcoming Clayface horror movie backed by the black metal blues of Zeal & Ardor. Or hey, maybe we’ll finally get that Spawn reboot, with a soundtrack that brings back the genre-smashing chaos of the 1997 original filled to the brim with today’s epic new artists.
For now, all we can do is wait and see what’s next. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to the cinema to get lost once again in Superman’s “punk rock” antics.
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