The first film’s music had proven to be so epically linked to the movie. So expectations were set high when Gunn came back for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. But this connection to the events on screen and particularly the lead character contribute greatly to the soundtrack’s potency. Sure, the music - an eclectic mix of soul, rock, and pop - made for an instant party. That’s one clear reason why the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack was such a smash hit upon the film’s release. He treasures it as the final gift from his mother (Laura Haddock). The songs audiences hear are often coming directly from Peter Quill’s (Chris Pratt) Walkman. Instead, he built them into his story and rooted them in character. However, Gunn didn’t just overlay tracks like Redbone’s “Come and Get Your Love” and Blue Swede’s “Hooked on a Feeling” into the movie. The answer? Throw in a bunch of hit songs. So Gunn needed to find a way to entice audiences to fall for a team that included a space raccoon and a talking tree with a very limited vocabulary. Prior to the film’s release, the characters were relatively obscure. Right from its first trailer, Guardians of the Galaxy made it clear this was a much different kind of superhero movie. The music of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ is a character in the film
But which of Gunn’s two Guardians films has the better soundtrack? Although composer Tyler Bates developed a stirring theme for Guardians of the Galaxy, James Gunn’s movies are better known for their ability to refresh and repopularize pop songs from the 1970s and 1980s. Ironically, the other most memorable musical element of the MCU isn’t a hero theme at all. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Avengers theme is the piece of music audiences remember. Christopher Reeves’ Superman, Michael Keaton’s Batman, and Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man all became so beloved in part because of the iconic music fans associated with those performances.
#GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL 2 SOUNDTRACK ALBUM COVER MOVIE#
A superhero movie is only as good as its theme music.