A Definitive Ranking of the Scores of the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Endgame is finally here. Many of you have undoubtedly seen it. Some of you haven’t. That’s cool. No spoilers here.

In the run-up to the film’s release, though, it seems like every geek outlet had their own ranking of the MCU’s 21 previous films. I mean, it was the predictable thing to do.

So this is us jumping on the bandwagon, in a manner of speaking. However, we intentionally waited a little bit. We didn’t want to drown in the sea of MCU rankings. We wanted to wait until a lot of you turned off the #Endgame-related words you muted on social media. And because we’re lazy.

But we’re not going to rank the movies. That’s tired. Everyone’s done that. Instead, we’re here to rank the movies’ scores. The music. We spent the last week listening to all 21 scores, back to back (thanks Amazon Music), all in the name of research.

To clarify, we’re talking about the orchestral scores for each movie. Not the soundtracks some of the films have that include music “from and inspired by” the films. We didn’t include those because (1) not every film has one, and (2) it would give an unfair advantage to Guardians of the Galaxy and Black Panther.

I should also mention that if you want to listen to the scores yourself, all of them (except for Iron Man and Iron Man 2) are streaming on Amazon if you subscribe to Amazon Music. Not an endorsement; just a fact. And if you’re interested, I’ve pulled together the best of the scores (according to me) in this playlist, which is organized in order of release. Listen and enjoy!

So without further ado, here’s the Roarbots’ definitive yet completely subjective ranking of the scores of the MCU.

Let’s start at the bottom, shall we? The films of the MCU have earned a reputation for scores that lack themes. I won’t necessarily argue with this; a lot of the films DON’T have recognizable themes you can hum or that linger with you after the credits roll. It should be said that this is hardly limited to the MCU, though; much of modern Hollywood has gone in this direction.

And while some of the best of the MCU does indeed have some great scores dominated by very memorable themes, the other end of the spectrum… does not. In fact, the bottom of this list is so overwhelmingly mundane and “meh” that I can’t even rank them against one another. So, in release order, here’s #21-15:

Iron Man

composed by Ramin Djawadi
listen to: “Mark II”

I wanted to like this one; I really did. Ramin Djawadi would later go on to score Game of Thrones and Westworld, which are freaking phenomenal, and you can hear hints of what would become Game of Thrones on some of these tracks. Sadly, the score for Iron Man is mostly a generic action score devoid of a recognizable theme.

The Incredible Hulk

composed by Craig Armstrong
listen to: “Bruce and Betty,” “Hulk Smash”

Just as the movie is fairly underwhelming, so is the score, which is a mundane action score and – on the whole – forgettable. Like the movie.

Iron Man 2

composed by John Debney
listen to: “Mayhem in Monaco,” “Black Widow Kicks Ass”

The first three MCU films are all right here at the bottom of the list. The films might have been surprisingly good and sowed the seeds for years of films to come, but the scores were less than inspired. Iron Man 2 still has no recognizable theme for its hero, and both this and the score for the first movie are “rock and roll” scores with heavy guitar riffs and pulsing horns.

Iron Man 3

composed by Brian Tyler
listen to: “Stark,” “Battle Finale”

Three Iron Man films, three different composers, all of them solidly meh. We finally get an Iron Man theme, such as it is, but that’s about it.

Guardians of the Galaxy

composed by Tyler Bates
listen to: “Sacrifice,” “The Ballad of the Nova Corps,” “Groot Cocoon”

NOT the mixtape soundtrack. Yes, there are actually scores for the Guardians movies. And just as the songs overshadow the score in the movie, so do the soundtrack releases. The score is mostly forgettable with a few exceptions.

Avengers: Age of Ultron

composed by Brian Tyler & Danny Elfman
listen to: “Heroes,” “New Avengers”

Even the addition of Danny Elfman can’t save this one. An entirely unremarkable score that really just serves to serve as background to the movie’s incredibly big set pieces and action sequences.

Captain America: Civil War

composed by Henry Jackman
listen to: “Closure,” “Cap’s Promise”

As good as this movie is, the score is surprisingly unremarkable. I can have it on in the background while I work and don’t even realize music is playing.

#14: The Avengers

composed by Alan Silvestri
listen to: “One Way Trip,” “The Avengers”

The first appearance of the Avengers theme, obviously. This 15-second theme is also the most memorable part of the score.

#13: Captain America: The First Avenger

composed by Alan Silvestri
listen to: “Farewell to Bucky,” “This is My Choice”

The horns on key tracks give the music an appropriately patriotic/WWII feel. This is mostly a generic action score, but it has some great highlights and is fantastic background music while working.

#12: Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2

composed by Tyler Bates
listen to: “Family History,” “Dad”

Much more memorable and thematic than the first. The score is suitably galactic yet grounded, which is perfect for the story told on screen.

#11: Doctor Strange

composed by Michael Giacchino
listen to: “Ancient History,” “Strange Days Ahead”

The score features Giacchino’s signature piano and strings and is thematic and fairly memorable.

#10: Spider-Man: Homecoming

composed by Michael Giacchino
listen to: “Webbed Surveillance,” “Spider-Man: Homecoming Suite”

We get a fun theme and plenty of playful tracks, which is perfect for this character and this film.

#9: Ant-Man

composed by Christophe Beck
listen to: “Theme from Ant-Man,” “Tales to Astonish!”

Again, there’s a fun theme, and the playful music recalls the best bits of the movie. It’s the most Ant-Man fun you can have without Paul Rudd.

#8: Captain Marvel

composed by Pinar Toprak
listen to: “Learning the Truth,” “More Problems”

I’ll admit, Pinar Toprak was not a name with which I was familiar before this score. But she’s certainly near the top of my “most anticipated” list to see what she’s got coming next. The addition of synth background beats and keyboard melodies recalls our #1 score, which certainly isn’t a bad thing. The score might be overshadowed by the killer 90s soundtrack, but this one absolutely deserves a listen.

#7: Thor

composed by Patrick Doyle
listen to: “The Compound,” “Earth to Asgard”

Look, I know that a lot of people find the first two Thor movies kind of boring, but I really enjoy them. And the score for the first is regal, thematic, and lofty. It’s fantastic and one of the best aspects of the movie.

#6: Captain America: The Winter Soldier

composed by Henry Jackman
listen to: “Fury,” “Taking a Stand”

This score is probably the most dissimilar to all those that came before it in the MCU. It incorporates computerized/digital beats and music, and it broke the mold set by previous scores (and paved the way for more unique scores to come). In many ways, it parallels the film itself, which broke ground, departed from a rote superhero story, and paved the way for much of the “grander” storytelling that would come in the MCU.

#5: Ant-Man and the Wasp

composed by Christophe Beck
listen to: “It Ain’t Over Till the Wasp Lady Stings,” “Cautious as a Hurricane,” “Arthropodie”

Coming on the heels of Avengers: Infinity War, the movie faced a daunting uphill emotional battle. It needed the audience to set aside the heartache they felt and just have fun. It more than succeeded. And the score is just as playful and fun as the movie.

#4: Thor: The Dark World

composed by Brian Tyler
listen to: “Into Eternity,” “Thor, Son of Odin,” “Journey to Asgard”

Listen, I know what you’re thinking. This is almost everyone’s least favorite MCU movie. But despite its reputation, the score is quite good. It was the first to incorporate a vocal/choral component, it has a recurring theme that is suitably heroic, and the music carries the movie.

#3: Avengers: Infinity War

composed by Alan Silvestri
listen to: “Help Arrives,” “Even for You,” “I Feel You”

Emotionally charged and heroic, the music for Infinity War needed to match the grandeur and scope of the film. And it does. This one’s a top 3 for a reason. Superstar composer Silvestri brings the experiences of his 40+ year career and puts it all on the table.

#2: Black Panther

composed by Ludwig Göransson
listen to: “Wakanda,” “Waterfall Fight,” “Glory to Bast,” “A King’s Sunset”

Göransson and director Ryan Coogler are a bit of a team. They worked together on Fruitvale Station and Creed before Black Panther, but it’s this one that won Göransson an Academy Award for Best Original Score. (He also won a Grammy for cowriting and producing Childish Gambino’s “This is America.”) The score for Black Panther is almost completely unique among MCU scores simply because it’s so heavily steeped in the film’s African setting. It’s haunting, beautiful, thrilling, and gorgeous. And it features Senegalese singer Baaba Maal on several tracks.

#1: Thor: Ragnarok

composed by Mark Mothersbaugh
listen to: “Ragnarok Suite,” “No One Escapes,” “What Heroes Do”

I’m going to be honest. This score was the impetus for my putting this list together in the first place. This was always going to be #1; I just wanted to see how all the rest stacked up against it. Mothersbaugh’s score fires on all cylinders. It is far and away the best score in the MCU and, to be frank, it’s not even close. It’s the only MCU score I return to again and again… and again.