I love listening to movie scores, and the comic book genre has its fair share of incredible soundtracks. For this list, I have picked my favourite superhero character themes. So, if you're looking to listen to some new film music whilst in Covid-19 self-quarantine, check out the playlist and ranking below!
Honorable mentions: Iron Man's theme by Ramin Djawadi, Batman's theme by Danny Elfman, Guardians of the Galaxy theme by Tyler Bates, Thor's theme by Patrick Doyle, Batfleck's theme by Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL, Mera's theme by Rupert Gregson-Williams, Jessica Jones' theme by Sean Callery, Harvey Dent's theme by James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer, Spider-Man's theme by Michael Giacchino, Joker's theme by Hildur Guðnadóttir, T'Challa's theme by Ludwig Göransson.
21. Harley Quinn's theme by Daniel Pemberton
At number 21, we have the only comic-book movie of 2020 so far. Daniel Pemberton had already made his mark two years ago with his masterpiece of a score for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and, though his music does not get to shine quite as much in Birds of Prey, his theme for Harley Quinn is infectiously fun- especially during an action sequence set in a police precinct.
20. David's theme by Jeff Russo
Legion Season 1 is an incredible comic-book show, based on an X-Men character called David Haller who has telepathic abilities and schizophrenia. It is a series that is often times confusing and abstract, but Jeff Russo's score never fails to give the show both heart and darkness when required.
19. Vanya's theme by Jeff Russo
The Umbrella Academy is definitely a flawed show but one that really effectively uses its music to propel the energy of the narrative from scene to scene. It features a host of iconic songs, but Jeff Russo's original score is the element that gives the season a really unique tone and style. Vanya's theme is beautiful and leads to a fantastic season finale and cliffhanger.
18. Daisy Johnson's theme by Bear McCreary
Agents of SHIELD remains criminally underrated within the wider Marvel universe, and has given us a fantastic superhero origin story in the form of Daisy Johnson AKA "Quake". Bear McCreary's music for the show is fantastic in general but his theme for Quake is always epic, from the first moment it played in season 2.
17. Superman's theme by John Williams
In some ways, it is hard to compare modern film scores to the absolutely iconic work that John Williams did with 1978's Superman. Christopher Reeve's iteration of the character is defined by an uncynical outlook on heroism, and Williams' score is aptly triumphant and larger than life, representing the all-American golden age hero.
16. Logan's Theme by Marco Beltrami
In a near opposite tone to the film above, Marco Beltrami's music for 2017's Logan feels like it hails from an old Western movie - apt for a story about a loner warrior on the path to redemption. This is a great 'genre' comic-book movie and soundtrack.
15. Thanos' theme by Alan Silvestri
Infinity War's shining accomplishment was making Thanos one of the most iconic villains of the last decade. Though the finale of the film is obviously not as hopeless as Marvel might want you to believe, Thanos sitting on a porch "watching the sunrise on a grateful universe" is one of the best moments in the MCU thus far.
14. Killmonger's theme by Ludwig Göransson
Black Panther was one of the first comic-book based movies to break through the genre barrier at awards season, nominated in six categories at the 2019 Oscars and winning three -including Best Original Score. Killmonger's theme is an ingenious blend of hip-hop and traditional African music, representing the villain's lineage from both the US and Wakanda.
13. Winter Soldier's theme by Henry Jackman
Henry Jackman's score for Captain America: The Winter Soldier is by far one of the best to come out of the MCU. Similar to another villain's theme on this list, the Winter Soldier's motif is made up of high-pitched, screeching and metallic noises. Along with Sebastian Stan's terrific performance, the music gives the character an indelible presence in the movie.
12. Joker's theme by Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard
Master composers Zimmer and Howard teamed up for the first two films of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy to create one of the best superhero soundtracks of all time. Joker's theme consists of a single building note that makes for an unpredictable and tense atmosphere that enhances, but never overshadows, Heath Ledger's performance.
11. Catwoman's Theme by Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL
To round off a string of villain/antagonist themes on this list, is Anne Hathaway's iteration of Catwoman who brings with her a fittingly playful and mischievous musical theme, contrasting Bane and Batman's more bombastic music within the same film. The first time it plays- when she steals a string of pearls from Wayne manor- is one of my favourite moments in the film.
10. Daredevil's theme by John Paesano
Paesano's music for Daredevil accompanies one of the best title sequences in a TV show and, though used sparingly in each episode, its use always reminds me why this show is one of the best superhero adaptations out there (#bringbackDaredevil).
9. Dark Phoenix theme by Hans Zimmer
Hans Zimmer is just about the only saving grace in an unfortunate ending to Fox's X-Men saga. The first ten minutes or so are definitely the strongest of the film, propelled forward by a stand-out score which also makes the final train set-piece much better than it should have been. Even Zimmer's rejected ideas- which he released in an album called 'X-periments'- are better than a lot of blockbuster soundtracks.
8. The Avenger's Theme by Alan Silvestri
Ever since its debut in the first Avengers movie, Alan Silvestri's main theme has been used to great effect to build hype, whether that be in trailers or within the Avengers movies themselves. Whilst some may argue that this music is over-played, it is hard to deny the visceral reaction it invokes in Endgame's final 'assemble' sequence.
7. Miles Morales' theme by Daniel Pemberton
Never has a comic book movie elevated its source material more before 2018's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. In his first feature film, Miles Morales already felt like such a relatable and instantly iconic protagonist. Pemberton's music for the film is one of my favourite movie soundtracks ever, even within a movie that also places emphasis on its use of contemporary music outside of the original score.
6. The Incredibles' theme by Michael Giacchino
If there are two animated films that never fail to amaze me in terms of the quality of their soundtrack, it would be How to Train Your Dragon and The Incredibles. Giacchino's work on Pixar's best film is nothing short of masterful, blending James Bond espionage with superhero fanfare.
5. Spider-Man's Theme by Danny Elfman
From one Spider-Man to another: Spider-Man 2 still holds up as one of the best superhero movies of all time. Elfman's music for Peter Parker elegantly encapsulates the weight of responsibility that the character carries with him and is still one of the most epic hero themes.
4. Clark Kent's theme by Hans Zimmer
One thing that DC really has over the MCU is its music. 2013's Man of Steel was scored by none other than Hans Zimmer. There's a beautiful difference between Clark Kent's theme, which is soft and melodic, and Superman's music which is epic and bombastic. Both count as some of Zimmer's best work.
3. Wonder Woman's Theme by Hans Zimmer/Junkie XL/Rupert Gregson-Williams
If there was one good thing to come out of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice it was Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman. And, by extension, her adrenaline-fuelled theme song by Zimmer and Junkie XL. Rupert Gregson-Williams took over the reins when it came to her solo movie. He uses the main motif throughout the soundtrack, but wisely holding back on the main, electric cello theme for maximum impact.
2. Magneto's theme by Henry Jackman
Despite the playful, and sometimes goofy, tone of X-Men: First Class (making full use of the '60s time period), Henry Jackman's theme for Magneto is incredibly bad-ass- and made even more so because of Michael Fassbender's fantastic performance. The Argentinian bar scene in particular stands out as one of the best scenes in any superhero movie, set to the stunning track, 'Frankenstein's Monster'.
1. The Dark Knight theme by James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer
Superhero themes are most effective when used alongside great character work and visuals. Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy demonstrates this wonderfully- the use of Batman's theme is always incredibly powerful because the story earns the use of the music (unlike other films; ahem, X-Men Dark Phoenix). The final scenes of each of the three movies are made even more memorable for the use of music.
For more on the music from The Dark Knight trilogy, you can read my article here.
Thanks for reading this article- I am really intrigued to see Alexandre Desplat's work for Black Widow, as I believe it is his first foray into the comic-book genre. And of course, Hans Zimmer's return to the world of Wonder Woman later this year is no doubt going to blow our minds.
I do not own any of the images used in this post.