The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s music doesn’t get enough credit
In these trying times, it can sometimes be hard to remember why you were once such a die-hard Marvel Cinematic Universe fan. Then, a project like Daredevil: Born Again comes along, and it restores your faith in Marvel’s and Kevin Feige’s decision-making process—even if it took them a while to reach the right conclusion—because it’s just that good.
The main problems plaguing the MCU are the weight of our expectations and the bar set by the Infinity Saga. The way that first saga came together in three phases of storytelling was, quite honestly, a miracle, and it’s easy to forget that the MCU had a few missteps along the way to that greatness, too. Iron Man 2 was not very good, remember? The second Thor movie was saved by the power of Tom Hiddleston’s Loki alone. Avengers: Age of Ultron was widely derided (at the time, at least—there’s been some revisionism going on), and Ant-Man and the Wasp needed some work. Yet, in the grand scheme of things, none of that truly seemed to matter because we had faith in the Marvel Studios brand, and more importantly, we had faith in these characters and their stories.
I would argue, however, that the characters we grew to love would have been much less memorable had it not been for the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s original scores. Now, I know what you’re probably thinking. The MCU’s music can’t compare to a masterpiece like Howard Shore’s score for The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It isn’t nearly as iconic as John Williams’s work for Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, or even Harry Potter. The MCU’s scores aren’t as inventive as Hans Zimmer’s compositions for Dune or Interstellar, either. I agree with those points, but that doesn’t mean the MCU’s music doesn’t deserve more credit.
I recently attended Marvel’s Infinity Saga Concert Experience in London, and honestly? It was kind of glorious. I’m a big proponent of live film music concerts—not only can they be a gateway to audiences discovering more classical music, as my dad likes to say, but they also give you an entirely different viewing experience.
It’s easy to forget about the music playing in the background. Of course, music is a key component of filmmaking—movies would be lost without it. But the first time you watch a new film, especially, you’re understandably focused on the story and the characters. In the MCU, though, these characters are celebrated with individual musical themes, themes that were lovingly highlighted during the concert.
You might not think about Marvel’s movie music too often, but it is instantly recognizable. My fellow audience members needed less than two seconds to realize which character was being highlighted next, and sure, you could say that we were in a room full of Marvel superfans—people came dressed as their favorite characters, and there were a lot of Marvel hoodies in attendance—but still. Marvel’s music may not often be nominated for major awards—Ludwig Göransson’s winning score for Black Panther is the exception—but that doesn’t really matter when the themes so perfectly represent their respective characters.
Iron Man’s theme is a rock-fueled, high-energy party. Steve Rogers’ theme is patriotism and strength all rolled into one. Spider-Man’s theme is plucky. Doctor Strange’s theme is wonderfully mystical, and Thor’s theme projects royalty. The Guardians’ theme is fun. Black Panther’s theme beautifully represents him and Wakanda. I could go on. I can tell who these characters are from their music alone, and that’s an impressive feat in and of itself. Then, of course, there is the Marvel Studios logo tune—used to great effect in that Marvel Studios Celebrates The Movies promo video during COVID-19—the Avengers theme, and, well, I don’t think I have to explain why I once again teared up during Endgame’s Portals scene.
Honestly, this evening filled with Marvel music reminded me why I fell in love with the MCU in the first place and why these characters meant—and still mean—so much to me. I can provide no greater compliment than that. All of the MCU’s composers, including Alan Silvestri, Ludwig Göransson, Michael Giacchino, Henry Jackman (my only pet peeve of the evening was that we never heard the Winter Soldier’s famous screech), Mark Mothersbaugh, Tyler Bates, more recent MCU composers like Loki’s Natalie Holt and Shang-Chi’s Joel P. West, among so many more, have played a key role in the MCU’s success. I’m glad I got to celebrate their work this way.
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