Music in Film: “Captain Marvel” Takes On ’90s Music

By Mili Murillo
Music Journalist

SPOILERS AHEAD FOR “CAPTAIN MARVEL”

I want to preface this by saying if you have yet to watch “Captain Marvel” go watch it right now and then come back and read this, you will thank me later. “Captain Marvel” is a 2019 film about a woman named Carol Danvers and her journey as she becomes one of the most powerful superheroes in Marvel’s cinematic universe. This movie is an unseen period of Marvel’s cinematic history setting the film in the 1990s. This was also Marvel’s first movie where a central theme was female empowerment and you definitely see that shed light in the music selection.

One of the many things I was excited for when Marvel announced its new movie “Captain Marvel” was the soundtrack. Previously, Marvel has hit the soundtracks spot on with “Guardians of The Galaxy” ‘80s themed soundtrack and of course “Black Panther” with chart-topping original songs. I was beyond excited to see what “Captain Marvel” would bring in terms of music.

One of the greatest things to come from the ‘90s aside from tv show “Friends”, slap bracelets, and headbands is definitely the music. There are many ‘90s songs to this day that everyone just knows. The soundtrack for “Captain Marvel” is a ‘90s dream featuring some of the greatest ‘90s pop and grunge tracks. The whole idea of selecting music from the same time period as the movie setting is completely brilliant and adds something special to the film. The ‘90s hits were placed at pivotal moments of the film helping you better understand the emotion of the character. Now, let’s get into a few of my favorite scenes where the songs were perfectly placed.

“Only Happy When It Rains” By Garbage

This rock ‘90s song plays when lead actress Brie Larson who plays Carol rides a stolen motorcycle out into the desert. This song perfectly matches Carol’s mood of frustration at this part of the film as she struggles to find her identity. Carol races off to an old bar on the motorcycle where it shows flashes of her past. Soon Carol discovers a huge clue as to why she can’t remember her past.

“I’m Just A Girl” By No Doubt

Then, there was probably the most iconic scene of the whole movie when No Doubts “I’m Just A Girl” plays during an intense fighting scene where Carol is completely taking control! The whole feminism aspect of the movie felt complete as soon as this alternative/pop song came on. Not to mention the reaction of the audience at the movie theater. Just about everyone freaked out when this song came on because it was a great throwback and they couldn’t have picked a greater song to fill this scene.

“Hole” By Celebrity Skins

When the end credits started rolling this song came on and it was a great wrap to the movie. It played until the post credit scene. This film also features tracks like “Come As You Are” by Nirvana, Elastica’s “Connection” and R.E.M’s “Man On The Moon”. The tracklist for “Captain Marvel” was great for all ages especially those who grew up listening to these songs which brought the sense of nostalgia.

If you haven’t seen any of the other Marvel movies “Captain Marvel” would be a great one to start off with. Even if it’s just to see how they incorporate great music in the films it is definitely worth your time.