Music by Lorne Balfe
Balfe finally gives Black Widow her own theme - a moving piece that appears in several serious and action settings. His villain material covers Dreykov, Taskmaster and the Red Room with slithering electronics and dark choir. The Russian choral and traditional instrumentation add a nice touch to the score. (Just listen to: Natasha's Lullaby, Fireflies, Yelena Belova, Natasha Soars)
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
Music by Joel P. West
In his highest profile score to date, West was able to blend the Marvel sound with a Chinese ensemble. The instrumentation stands out among the lyrical moments (which end up being better than the battle music). Shang-Chi's theme is present through much of the score, as is the villain Wenwu - a variation of the same theme. These main themes layer together, much like themes for mother Ying Li and sister Xialing. (Just listen to: Xu Shang-Chi, Your Mother, The Waterfall, Ancestors)
Eternals (2021)
Music by Ramin Djawadi
Djawadi returns to the MCU with a more orchestral and dramatic score. For themes, there's the overarching Eternals theme and foreboding Celestials theme but they don't stand out too much within the film. There's more mystical aspects, and the score features more somber moments than action. (Just listen to: Eternals Theme, Not Worth Saving, Across the Oceans of Time, This Is Your Fight Now)
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Music by Michael Giacchino
Giacchino finished out his trilogy by returning to several of his themes - the Spidey theme, Doctor Strange theme, the love theme and a brief Mysterio appearance from Far From Home. For this film, he adds a theme representing loss, hope, and an multi-use villain theme. With the multiverse opening, we also get plenty of slapped in past references from other Spider-Man films with music by Danny Elfman, Hans Zimmer and James Horner. (Just listen to: Gone in a Flash, Sling vs Bling, Shield of Pain, Arachoverture)
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
Music by Danny Elfman
Giacchino's original Doctor Strange theme makes a few cameos, as does Elfman's expansion of the theme for Wanda from Age of Ultron. Elfman gives Strange a new theme, but gets overshadowed by Wanda's thematic material which is allowed to go full monstrous. America Chavez's material is also heard a few times in pivotal moments. Elfman's music for the musical fight is a blast, as is the several music cameos that were released as bonus tracks. (Just listen to: Multiverse of Madness, Cup of Tea, Lethal Symphony, The Illuminati, Main Titles)
Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
Music by Michael Giacchino and Nami Melumad
Thor gets (another) new theme with a few electronic references to the style from Ragnarok. This theme also represents Jane's Mighty Thor while the villainous Gorr gets an ominous motif that doesn't stand out from the orchestral textures. It's important to note that themes were by Giacchino with score by Giacchino and collaborator Nami Melumad. (Just listen to: Mama's Got a Brand New Hammer, Gorr Animals, The Zeus Fanfares, The Ballad of Love and Thunder)
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
Music by Ludwig Göransson
Göransson builds on the musical textures from his Oscar-winning score. He continues collaborating with African vocalists and percussionists, mixing his style into his past themes. We hear Black Panther's theme, Wakanda theme, Dora Milaje's motif. He adds in a new theme for Shuri and dramatic theme for Namor - incorporating Mayan musical touches and instrumentation. (Just listen to: Imperius Rex, Wakanda Forever, Yibambe!, T'Challa)
Check out the others in the Marvel Cinematic Universe series!
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