'Logan' Will Be Scored By 'The Wolverine' Composer Marco Beltrami, Not Cliff Martinez

Johnny Cash's "Hurt" served as the perfect soundtrack for that first Logan trailer released last fall, capturing the film's melancholy tone and gritty vibe. But what about the film itself? What kind of music will we be listening to while Hugh Jackman hacks and slashes his way through one last Wolverine movie?

Previously, the word was that Cliff Martinez (Drive) would be scoring the X-Men spinoff. However, we're now hearing that he's quietly dropped out and been replaced by Marco Beltrami, who worked with Logan director James Mangold on The Wolverine and 3:10 to Yuma. More on the new Logan composer below. 

Mangold confirmed the new Logan composer on Twitter, in response to a particularly cranky Beltrami fan. (While we recently mentioned this news in Superhero Bits, we felt it worth a closer look.)

Sure! But always wise to start softer and hear from other side before making accusations. Relax. Marco is scoring the film.

— Mangold (@mang0ld) December 30, 2016

With Logan out in just about two months, this news is coming at the last minute. But it's unclear when exactly the switch was made. Hopefully, Beltrami has had enough time to put together something memorable for Logan. Hugh Jackman's Wolverine deserves the best for his swan song.

It's a little disappointing to learn we won't be hearing new work by Martinez in Logan. A favorite of Steven Soderbergh and Nicolas Winding Refn, Martinez boasts an impressive list of credits including Drive, Contagion, Spring Breakers, and The Neon Demon. It would've been interesting to hear him take on the moody, dystopian Western feel of Logan.

But Beltrami is no slouch, either. As the composer behind The Wolverine, he should be intimately familiar with the characters and universe of Logan already. And he clearly has a good rapport with Mangold, as their working relationship goes all the way back to 2007's 3:10 to Yuma (for which Beltrami earned an Oscar nomination). He has worked frequently with Guillermo del Toro and Wes Craven, and his resume includes Hellboy, The Hurt Locker, Soul Surfer, and Snowpiercer.

Beltrami's score, and the rest of Logan, should be in theaters March 3.