By this point, hearing of a Hans Zimmer-Christoper Nolan collaboration is almost as expected as John Williams and Steven Spielberg getting together. But you now what’s weird? The former coming on for a project that’s “only” produced by the latter and, supposedly, in the hands of someone with an entirely different style.

So a couple of new questions now surround Man of Steel, with Variety reporting that Zimmer will come in and do his thing for Zack Snyder‘s Superman reboot — but, at the same time, also be something of a replacement for the director’s own mainstay, Tyler Bates. I know that story alleges his own involvement in the choice, but I find it awfully hard to believe the producer — or, you could say, WB’s favorite director in the entire world — didn’t just step in and make this choice for himself.

Some of these aforementioned questions might include… I don’t know, “How much pull does Christopher Nolan really have here?” While we’ve known, since the project’s birth, that he had some hand in shaping the story, many of us (correctly) thought he was too busy to have much more creative say in Snyder‘s film. Now that The Dark Knight Rises should be just about done?

And Zimmer didn’t want to do Man of Steel 18 months ago, either. Here’s what he said, at the time, about replacing John Williams‘ iconic theme:

John Williams, the greatest living composer — full stop. And that happens to be one of his greatest themes. So no. And I’m not thinking of rewriting Beethoven’s ninth either. It just sounds like a thankless task, you know? So that’s unequivocally a no.

People sometimes (though not often enough) grow and change over time; maybe Nolan explained the project in detail and, in doing so, set off something in Zimmer‘s brain that couldn’t be turned down. Yet even if this new Superman is exciting enough to take on “a thankless task,” that would still mean this addition is predicated upon the producer.

It should all be evident in the coming months, and we’ll know for sure when Man of Steel opens on June 14th, 2013.

What does this choice for Man of Steel say to you? Is it a cause for concern, or a sign of relief?