Marvel films have been churning out some incredible soundtracks as of late and this was no different with Deadpool 2 when it hit theaters. I’m not exactly sure what one imagines when they try to create the perfect Deadpool soundtrack in their head, but Tyler Bates was able to deliver exactly that type of soundtrack — which, oddly enough, is the first score to ever receive a parental advisory warning — you didn’t know you were looking for but couldn’t wait to hear. The focus on diversity that Bates gave the soundtrack truly lent the film to some of its finest moments. Not since Black Panther has Marvel seen a movie with as original of a soundtrack and not since Guardians of the Galaxy has the soundtrack played such a critical role in a Marvel film.
One of a film’s more underrated elements is its score. Whether it’s Kendrick Lamar putting out an entirely new album for Black Panther or Tyler Bates tapping Céline Dion to perform the smash hit for the film, Marvel films have been on a roll, regardless of the studio, when it comes to original soundtracks. It was the final frontier and slowly but surely, it has fallen by the wayside in favor of great cinematic scores as only Deadpool can deliver. Because if there’s anything more Deadpool than using Céline Dion as the movie’s featured artist, I am happy to learn more about it because that was awesome research. In fact, in the interest of transparency, I am posting the quality control research we did on Céline Dion below. I think it’s only fair that you see how we spend our time around The Marvel Report HQ. So, here’s the video of Dion settling the score against an auditorium that said she couldn’t sing.
A fun fact to kick this all off: Tyler Bates, who composed the Deadpool 2 soundtrack, was James Gunn’s right hand man for Guardians of the Galaxy and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’s soundtrack. In the interview linked above, James Gunn calls his relationship with Bates one of the most important relationships of his career. Those are some strong words, but you can see their passion played out in the work they do and the hits they create. Bates is a well-respected composer in Hollywood and it makes total sense that Deadpool 2 would grab him up after Junkie XL opted not to return following the departure of Tim Miller.
Before I dive into the Deadpool 2 soundtrack, it’s worth noting that Black Panther has the best original score of any Marvel project. Kendrick Lamar was originally only supposed to do a couple songs for the film, but then he saw footage of Ryan Coogler’s film and decided he had to do the whole thing. His entire album slaps and it’s by far the most creative project between Marvel and film composers. It’s a process that seems to growing as they complete the different phases. Assuming Marvel perfects this down the line, and there is no reason to think that they won’t, they could be printing billions at the box office and millions from iTunes receipts.
This is the essence of what makes Lamar’s Black Panther soundtrack so amazing. One album, cut by said artist and it features a veritable who’s who of the hip hop community. As much as the movie was for the culture, so too was the soundtrack and that’s part of what makes it so important to the film. The way Guardians of the Galaxy and Deadpool 2 bring the film to life is a bit different than what Lemar’s project does for Black Panther, but it’s by no means a bad thing. It is just different. Given the fact that both of those films were going for different, it blended in with their film style and brought out the best in each one.
From the moment you strap in for Deadpool 2, the music and song selection have you moving along and grooving. Each song sounds as though it were perfectly selected for the moment. In addition to the songs sounding great, the timing and poignancy of each song add to the flavor. ‘Ashes’ bye Céline Dion is an outstanding example of flavor meeting poignancy. Used as one of the more powerful songs in the film, the hilarity of the song also adds that Deadpool flavor because of course Céline Dion has one of the hit songs in Deadpool 2, why wouldn’t she?
One of my personal favorite moments from the film is when Wilson names the group X-Force and they leap from the airplane. AC/DC’s ‘Thunderstruck” is so well done and it hits the spot every time. It’s hard not to get hype for a pissed off Wade Wilson leaping out of a plane with his new crew as that song blares in the background, especially given the impact the new crew is about to have. It’s about blending the right song with the right moments, and Tyler Bates did that in spades for Deadpool 2. He deserves a ton of credit for the way he was able to bring this film to life in another dimension.
As Marvel continues to grow and conquer the box office, fans are going to be treated to amazing soundtracks time and time again. These two juggernauts of pop culture were seemingly made for one another, which is strange when you consider the way each medium relies on dissemination, but sometimes opposites attract in magnificent ways. Tyler Bates took an opening vacated by Junkie XL and dominated it. He took his shoot and drained it. For a full look at the Deadpool 2 soundtrack, here’s a link courtesy of the Den of Geek folks and here’s a link for a Spotify playlist using songs featured in the movie. Both of them will improve your day by leaps and bounds.
Music is going to attract people in different ways. What works for me may not work for someone else, but I feel confident in saying that Deadpool 2 has one of the best soundtracks in Marvel history. The fun from the film runs over into the score and fans are left with indelible moments courtesy of Tyler Bates. Assuming Deadpool 3 gets made, here’s to hoping that Tyler Bates returns to do the music for that film, as well. We would all be the better for it. I know I would.