We all remember Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. For better or worse, it served up the starting point of the upcoming Justice League movie. Despite its title characters, it was Gal Gadot’s turn as Wonder Woman grabbing the spotlight.

And her intro riff. It’s not an electric guitar folks. Try an electric cello in the hands of acclaimed musician Tina Guo. Say hello to Wonder Woman’s latest special ability. The best damn intro for any comic book character on the silver screen.

The entire track is entitled ‘Is She With You’ and was written by Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL. I’ll agree with the top comment on YouTube. It was the point when Batman and Superman became sidekicks in the film.

That’s all thanks to Tina Guo on the electric cello. And when the standalone Wonder Woman film was announced, fans all breathed a sigh of relief when the cello riff kicked in at the end of the first trailer. Quit making us worry Warner Bros.

Tina Guo and Wonder Woman

I had a chance to speak with Tina on her work on BvS and the upcoming standalone film. Needless to say, she’s a fan. On what it was like to bring Wonder Woman to life through music, Tina explains how working on the film’s soundtrack happened:

I’m so honored that Hans asked me to play the Wonder Woman theme! It’s exciting and fun, and I love playing the part of a badass female warrior!

What about the standalone film? Tina can’t say much but did confirm she’s back for the soundtrack: Yes, we have been recording for the WW film- I can’t say more for now, but I can say that I’m so excited to see and hear the final movie.

Spoken like a true musician. She wants to hear the movie as much as she wants to see it. Count me in her camp.

Update 3/5: Now we have two Twitter videos of Tina jamming. And yes, it sounds badass.

Life as Tina Guo

It’s not just her work on Wonder Woman which has her in demand as a recording artist, cellist, and composer. Her work landed her a spot as a featured soloist on the Hans Zimmer Live tour in 2016. And damn right she’s back for the 2017 tour.

Nailing down her favorite set from the tour is hard, but I had to ask.

I may be a bit biased, but the Pirates of the Caribbean “Cello Concerto” is my favorite, it’s a long epic medley of awesome music from the series and just a blast to play! Honestly, all of the music is wonderful- Gladiator is gorgeous and ethereal, and I really enjoy being surrounded by the sounds of that piece too.

Hans Zimmer Live is already touring, and if you’re on the west coast, April is your month with dates in LA, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Coachella. Those of us on the east coast will have to wait on future dates. Tina has tentative dates but won’t jump the gun in case the dates don’t pan out. Come to Atlanta.

Her work spans nearly every genre of film and gaming. Yes, fans of gaming soundtracks will want to check out her latest album ‘Game On’ featuring the Skyrim theme – Dragonborn. And it’s accompanying music video. Evidently, Tina never sleeps.

The album is out now and can be found on the usual suspects – iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, etc. She has a special landing page where the album can be streamed or bought here.

Where else have you heard her work? Reading off the list, the better question is what hasn’t she worked on? Her Cinesamples library is one of the most popular cello solo libraries on the market. And if her filmography credit isn’t enough, Tina’s electric cello work was used in developing the sound of the Kaijus in Pacific Rim.

A Day in the Life

If you follow her on social media, you know she’s nonstop. And if you’re an aspiring artist, here’s what an average day looks like for Tina:

Every day is a bit different depending on if I’m at home/doing recording sessions/on the road, but there is always a lot of computer/business work, as well as practice and prepping for concerts. On days I have recording sessions, I’m not able to practice as much as I’d like, but I usually try to do at least 2-3 concentrated hours per day. I love the flexibility and fluidity of the artist lifestyle! I usually spend at least 4-5 hours these days on the computer for business-related things. I negotiate most of my own contracts and luckily can do most meetings remotely via Skype, so I try to do everything from my studio when I’m home in LA.

Those subscribed to her YouTube channel know one question keeps popping up. Is there a possible collaboration in the works with Lindsey Stirling, the famed violinist? Tina’s onboard with the idea, and now we wait for Lindsey to jump onboard for a viral video.

Stepping away from music, Tina is also a writer. A 23-page collection of poems is available through Lulu, and I asked if there was another book in the works.

At some point, I hope. Right now I’m focusing everything on the music side of things, but I do like to post random musings onto Facebook on occasion.

It turns out she does sleep. And you should follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube.

What’s Next?

Tina is coming off a Grammy nomination for ‘Inner Passion’ which paired her with Peter Kater. Wonder Woman is hitting theaters in the summer, and she has the Hans Zimmer Live tour throughout 2017. Her schedule is packed, but it doesn’t mean she can’t dream a bit.

With her work on soundtracks and scores for film and TV, she has to have one that would be a dream to work on:

Well, I’m obsessed with Game of Thrones, so that would really be amazing! But the cellist who records for that show is awesome, and I wouldn’t want to intrude. I’m totally happy just doing covers of music from that show!

Wonder Woman’s new ability is also a superfan of Game of Thrones. Not surprised at all. And for new fans, Spotify is your friend.

Or follow her via Apple Music. Tina Guo’s music is a nice break from the usual pop hits and you don’t have to listen to Ryan Seacrest ramble. Trust me; it’s win-win. Game soundtrack covers, film scores, and her own work will dominate your playlist. And we look forward to Gal Gadot kicking ass in Wonder Woman backed by Tina Guo and the electric cello.

Special thanks to Tina Guo. Be sure to follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat.