Hans Zimmer rejects Marvel’s offer to compose music, netizens joke: "He’s not going to let Marvel ruin his legacy"

Acclaimed film composer Hans Zimmer, whose jaw-dropping themes have accompanied The Dark Knight, Inception, Dune, and Gladiator on the big screen, has revealed that he declined the offer to score a Marvel movie.

Although Zimmer has scored music for several of the largest superhero franchises—Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, and Wonder Woman—among others, he's decided to move on from the genre.

Fans were quick to chime in with comedic remarks, teasing that he dodged a bullet by not allowing Marvel to taint his legacy. A few even claimed he executed the greatest side quest escape feat, evading the MCU's "we hire whoever's popular" casting policy.

These jokes didn’t come out of nowhere—fans have been side-eyeing the MCU for a while now, especially after Captain America: Brave New World tanked on Rotten Tomatoes.

One X user (@onBrandVibes) stated:

"Standing on business 😭 he’s not going to let Marvel ruin his legacy."

Zimmer saw the MCU phase decline and hit ‘skip.’

A user (@ChillMongerr) added:

"He saw how many tiktoks play the Interstellar theme. He's not here for that generation."

A user (@AceDolan) joked:

"Marvel thinks a great Hans score can save them 💀"

A Hans Zimmer score can do a lot, but it can’t write a better script.

A user (@The__Comedian__)poked fun at MCU, stating:

"Too bad they never approached a competent director or screenwriter."

One more user (@DhfanofMBandRC) took a jab, saying:

"You can always ask your intern to do like you did in Dark Phoenix."

A user (@JohnnyMorlin) quipped:

"Marvel still hasn’t found their path."

They’re on a path, just not the right one.

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Why Hans Zimmer said no to Marvel?

Marvel Studios has approached Hans Zimmer previously, seeking to incorporate his distinctive sound within the MCU. However, in a recent Happy Sad Confused podcast interview, Zimmer discussed why he said no:

"They have, they have. It was always, um, timing wasn't great. And really quite honestly, I mean, I'm looking for other things right now… I've done the trifecta. I've done Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, and Wonder Woman."

He conceded that his logic could come across as arrogant, but even Marvel overlord Kevin Feige comforted him:

"That was very arrogant of me to say that, but actually, Kevin Feige said that to me: 'Hans, what are you complaining about?'"

Zimmer was also similarly hesitant to compose for Star Wars.

Although he greatly admires John Williams' iconic work, he feels that he would have to entirely redefine the musical identity of the franchise in order to make a significant contribution.

“How many interesting things do you want to put onto this thing before it falls apart and isn’t Star Wars anymore? Because the only way I would see myself is if I could reinvent it.”

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What's next for Hans Zimmer?

Instead of jumping on board with Marvel, Hans Zimmer is concentrating on high-level new projects, including a massive European tour in 2025 and 2026 called Hans Zimmer Live—The Next Level.

“For me, every show is a new journey of discovery. With ‘The Next Level,’ I want to surprise my fans and take them into a sound world like they’ve never experienced before.”

Zimmer is also debuting a concert film, Hans Zimmer & Friends: Diamond in the Desert, featuring his most popular scores (Dune, Gladiator, Interstellar) performed live at Dubai's Coca-Cola Arena.

The movie, opening in limited theaters across the globe beginning March 19, 2025, includes behind-the-scenes commentary from co-creators such as Billie Eilish and director Denis Villeneuve.

And of course, he's still scoring big movies. Zimmer is working on F1, directed by Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick), which hits theaters on June 27, 2025.

He's also scoring The World of Hans Zimmer—A New Dimension, an orchestral reinterpretation of some of his biggest hits.