Marvel debuts new Fantastic Four theme song in Hollywood Bowl "post-credits" sequence

Kevin Feige teased Marvel fans with a post-credits scene at its Infinity Saga Concert Experience—and composer Michael Giacchino delivered

By William Hughes | August 31, 2024 | 5:28pm

Image: Disney

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Marvel debuts new Fantastic Four theme song in Hollywood Bowl

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The Marvel post-credits phenomenon has now gone through its full and complete life cycle, having transformed, across nearly two decades of movie making, from genuinely joyful surprise, to rote obligation, to subject of parody, and then, finally, aging into full obsolescence. (It feels telling that this summer’s blockbuster Deadpool & Wolverine deliberately spent its own such sequence on one last, especially profane, series of jokes, rather than trying to do any more narrative spackling for the MCU.) But credit to Kevin Feige and his merry band of stingers, as they rolled out a new one on us this weekend: A post-credits sequence for a concert, ending a performance of Marvel scores at the Hollywood Bowl with the debut of the theme song for next year’s Fantastic Four: First Steps.

Handed off to The L.A. Philharmonic “at the last minute” by Marvel house composer Michael Giacchino—and posted in full online by YouTube account The Laughing Place—the theme is an interesting one, marrying Giacchino’s love of comic book bombast with something more space-y, and even a little bit childlike in spots. (The choral and synth elements are a nice touch; it’s always nice to hear Marvel get a little further away from “Here is another big horn sting”—even if it does start with, well, a very big horn sting.) It’s just very funny to us that it was presented (by Feige, who intro’d the event) to the audience with the post-credits framing—especially when the word “encore” is just hanging out there, in perfect and regular usage. But, hey: If you were looking for an environment to debut a track like this, a Hollywood Bowl crowd excited to consume a “Marvel Studios’ Infinity Saga Concert Experience” would be the perfect recipients. (Meanwhile, the show itself is set to go on tour next year, possibly right alongside First Steps‘ planned July 25 release date.