Top 10 Superhero Movie Musical Themes

You can’t save the world without an epic tune. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Superhero Movie Themes.

For this list, we’re choosing big screen superhero movie themes based on a mix of how iconic and memorable they are. This is strictly a movie list, so no TV themes on here. Now, bust out your cape and let’s take to the skies!

For his third time around, Marvel Studios decided to make the usually bubbly Iron Man story darker in tone. So, understandably, his theme song had to follow suit. Composed and conducted by Brian Tyler, the score for “Iron Man 3” was performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. When it comes to the main theme, it’s epic and chilling at the same time, injecting the titular character with purpose and a sense of tension.

No capes! For this undercover crime-fighting family, you need a theme that’s heroic but also a bit on the light side. “The Incredibles” theme song is quick-paced and reminiscent of spy-genre music with a lot of cymbal crashes and a jazzy undertone. Then it tapers off midway through into a subtler little beat, that really brings home the sense of family present in all Pixar films. Perfect.

The God of Thunder needs a theme suited for a…well, a God. Patrick Doyle’s “Sons of Odin” starts off slow and light, but suddenly dovetails into a grand theme replete with violins and drums that give listeners an otherworldly sense of magic and power. Reminiscent of cinematic epics of the past, this theme for “Thor” flawlessly encapsulates what it is to be divine.

While it starts off much the same way a James Bond theme would, this sci-fi tune quickly shows its colors with the use of a very ‘80s chime melody. The song then accelerates into what we might recognize now as a more conventional super-hero theme. Drums crash, violins wail and a rising screech leads the charge into what has become a classic movie theme song composed by Basil Poledouris, who incidentally also composed the theme for “Conan the Barbarian.”

Christopher Nolan’s darker, grittier reimagining of this classic DC Comics character brought with it a theme song that fans have come to recognize just as easily as the score for Tim Burton’s “Batman” in 1989. With a hectic charging of drums and a musical rise and fall, “The Dark Knight”’s iconic soundtrack – and this Hans Zimmer-composed theme in particular – brought the Caped Crusader to a new generation and into a class of his own, distinguishing the character for a more discerning audience.

Earth’s Mightiest Heroes may also have Earth’s catchiest tune backing them up. As heroic as the team it was scored for, The Avengers’ theme dives right into the action with a sweeping orchestral stretch that swells into a shiver-inducing melody with just a little xylophone goodness added in for the fun of it. As with all great themes, the score feels self-contained and concise while bringing home the ensemble team-up idea of the movie.

The original cinematic super-team is at it again in this sequel to the wildly successful 2000 film. And with the return of our mutant heroes comes a theme that’s twice as epic. While “X2”’s song in its entirety lasts an impressive 7 minutes, the main section is one we have come to know and love - and which identifies Professor Xavier’s team just as well as yellow spandex and wacky hairdos.

Danny Elfman scores are always instantly identifiable and his theme for everybody’s favorite Wall-Crawler is no exception. With a slow, almost whimsical start, the song soon swells into a grandiose melody just as quick and crafty as the hero it’s composed for. Heroic in all the right places, the theme ends on an almost tragic note, which actually suits Peter Parker

Danny Elfman got his superhero start on this Tim Burton film and took full advantage of it. The result was that one of the most iconic film scores ever was born. When you think Batman, it’s hard not imagine the sounds of this score accompanying the Dark Knight on his moonlit crusade. The tune was so intertwined with DC’s greatest detective that it was ported over to the 1992 animated series.

Before we unveil our number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
- “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” (2014)
- “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” (1990)
- “Captain America: The First Avenger” (2011)
- “Man of Steel” (2013)

When it comes to superhero movie themes, this one is the mightiest of them all. Composed by cinema veteran John Williams, the score to Richard Donner’s 1978 movie is now inextricably linked with the character of Superman in film. It soars just as high as the Big Blue Boy Scout and allows us to look at Supe’s world with a positive sense of childlike wonder. While superheroes and their theme songs have become darker and grittier over the years, this one remains a whimsical classic. It’s just super, man.

Do you agree with our list? What’s your favorite Superhero Movie Theme? For more epic Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.