Marvel Cinematic Universe: Soundtrack Scores Ranked From Worst To Best
18. Captain Marvel
PInar Toprak was selected as the first female composer in the MCU to take on Carol Danvers' first solo outing. The resulting score is mostly a triumph, balancing the familiar MCU house style with a '90s influenced backdrop, splitting the time between an orchestral score and the '90s songs that play throughout the film.
The score is a fusion of electronic music and orchestral, with the electronic pieces reflecting the various aliens and the orchestral elements reflecting Danvers. Toprak auditioned for the film by hiring a 70-piece orchestra to play several minutes' worth of music that she had composed, winning over directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck.
However, there was a little controversy behind the scenes. Michael Giacchino was brought on board toward the end of the process to review some of the pieces written for the film while he was working on Spider-man: Far From Home. While critics suggested this was because the filmmakers were not impressed with Toprak's score, Giacchino himself has stressed that he did not compose for the film and was merely on board as a guide.
The score references Alan Silvestri's Avengers theme toward the end of the film, but mostly stands on its own. Toprak wanted to create a theme for Captain Marvel that would be instantly recognisable in the first couple of notes which is somewhat successful, though the majority of the score does venture closer to generic than standing out.