Scoring SUPERGIRL: Trauma, Transformation, and Triumph with composer Claudia Sarne | SDCC 2026
How do you create a new musical identity for Supergirl while honoring Superman’s iconic legacy?
At San Diego Comic-Con 2026, we spoke with composer Claudia Sarne about developing Supergirl’s heroic theme and using music to follow Kara’s journey from a messy, emotionally wounded young woman to the hero she was meant to become.
Read on for an interview summary, or watch the video above to see the composers and hear musical examples.
Giving Supergirl Her Own Musical Identity
Superman has been associated with iconic music for decades, particularly John Williams’ unforgettable theme. For Supergirl, however, Sarne and the filmmakers wanted to establish a new sound that belonged completely to Kara.
Sarne explained that giving Supergirl her own musical identity was essential. Early in the process, she composed a theme that the filmmakers loved and then orchestrated it in several ways to fit Kara’s changing emotional and physical states.
Although audiences have spent decades associating Superman with a particular melody, a new superhero theme needs time to become equally recognizable. Sarne hopes Supergirl’s theme will eventually create the same immediate connection between character and music.
Supergirl’s Score
The score also evolves alongside Kara’s emotional arc. Her earlier scenes feature a rougher musical world built around synthesizers and guitars, complementing her messier and more reckless state.
As the story reveals more about Argo and Kara’s trauma, the score becomes increasingly orchestral. Her theme appears in minor-key statements and partial forms before gradually growing into the triumphant musical declaration heard near the conclusion.
Listen carefully to subtle musical Easter eggs connecting Supergirl to Superman, especially in the final track – “Clark’s Apartment.”
From Playing in Bands to Scoring Film and Television
Despite her success, Sarne admitted that she still feels uncomfortable calling herself a “composer,” describing the word as too lofty. She prefers to say that she writes music for film and television—even though her mother proudly tells everyone that her daughter is a composer.
Sarne has wanted to make music since childhood, when she wrote songs and small musicals. She later joined bands and performed on other artists’ records before an unexpected career setback led to a new opportunity in television.
Director Allen Hughes gave Sarne her first television scoring opportunity on Touching Evil. The project opened an entirely new creative doorway and showed her that she could build a career combining music with visual storytelling.
Another pivotal moment came when she attended one of Michael Giacchino’s scoring sessions for Lost. Watching musicians collaborate and experiment in the studio confirmed that composing for the screen was everything she wanted to do.
And now here Sarne is at San Diego Comic-Con! Did you enjoy this interview? Let us know in the comments and on our socials.
