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Fans know that it will be at least 2022 before the sequel to Captain Marvel arrives, with the first movie not being quite a  year old yet. Whenever it does arrive, however, they hope that one thing will improve: the soundtrack

Captain Marvel made quite a big deal out of being set in the 90s, to the point that the trailer made a big deal of her crashing into the roof of the gone but not forgotten Blockbuster Video.

However, whether Marvel intended for it to or not, the soundtrack to Captain Marvel didn’t capture people’s attention the way a certain other soundtrack did.

‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ is the king of Marvel soundtracks

Chris Pratt on the red carpet
Chris Pratt | CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty Images

Marvel sometimes faces criticism for not having particularly memorable music. If you were to ask people to hum a Marvel theme, most of them would probably hum the theme to the Spider-Man animated theme from the 60s. 

However, Guardians of the Galaxy proved to be a fun exception, with the soundtrack being a character in and of itself. It was a mixtape of hits from the ’60s and ’70s, with most played song probably being the 1968  “Hooked on a Feeling” by Blue Swede.

Not only was it the second most popular soundtrack of its year (after the indomitable Frozen), reaching number 1 on the Billboard charts, but it was actually issued on a cassette, a long-dormant format that was resurrected by the movie. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwUOkbYLnCQ

When Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 came out three years later, with it came another mixtape, the most prominent track of which was ELO’s “Mr. Blue Sky,” which played during the opening credits with Baby Groot busting several moves.

The ’60s/’70s sound became so identified with the Guardians that when they made their entrance in Avengers: Infinity War, they did so to the strains of “Rubber Band Man” by the Spinners. 

‘Captain Marvel’s’ soundtrack wasn’t as distinctive

When Captain Marvel came out, it got a soundtrack, it was telling that it was only of the score by Pinar Toprak. The movie included several 80s/90s staples, including “Kiss Me Deadly” by Lita Ford and “Just a Girl” by No Doubt, but Captain Marvel  did not get a Guardians-like soundtrack of just the songs. If you wanted that playlist, you had to create it yourself. 

Fans talking about the Captain Marvel sequel took note of this on Reddit, with one person saying, “Regardless of when the time period is set, PLEASE let us have a 90s soundtrack that fits well with the story like the Guardians movies rather than randomly placed like the first. There needs to be a 90s Marvel Soundtrack that is like a character to the story.”

A Radio Times review of the soundtrack praised the selection of 90s songs, but noted, “They haven’t unearthed beloved classics and incorporated them into the very fabric of the film, a la James Gunn in Guardians of the Galaxy. Many of the songs featured are hits that you’ll catch on a decent, rock-friendly radio station.

So when will ‘Captain Marvel 2’ come out?

As the Reddit thread points out, even Brie Larson herself does not know when the sequel will be, not does she know if she will be making an appearance in some other Marvel movie as Carol Danvers.

As unlikely as it sounds, she could pop up in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings in February 2021, because that movie is being directed by Destin Daniel Cretton. 

Cretton has directed Larson three times, in Short Term 12, The Glass Castle and the newly released Just Mercy. Larson’s influence almost certainly got Cretton the Shang-Chi gig, so it would make sense that Larson might return the favor by appearing in his Marvel movie.

In the meantime, fans are guessing Captain Marvel 2 would probably arrive around 2023. Perhaps the simplest solution to the soundtrack issue would be to have the Guardians show up in Captain Marvel 2 or have Carol show up in Guardians Vol. 3.

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