THE DARK KNIGHT Composer Hans Zimmer On Why He's Turned Down Marvel: "You Want Me To Do Minor Characters?"

THE DARK KNIGHT Composer Hans Zimmer On Why He's Turned Down Marvel: "You Want Me To Do Minor Characters?"

The Dark Knight Trilogy composer Hans Zimmer has revealed why he's turned down offers from Marvel Studios and weighs in on the chances of heading into a Galaxy Far, Far Away for a future Star Wars movie.

By JoshWilding - Mar 07, 2025 06:03 AM EST
Filed Under: Marvel Studios

Composer Hans Zimmer's breakthrough project was 1988's Rain Main but he rose to prominence in the eyes of comic book fans for scoring Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Trilogy, starting with 2005's Batman Begins.

Their collaboration continued across multiple blockbusters and Zimmer ultimately took a crack at a few other superhero movies. Those include Man of Steel, Wonder Woman, and even The Amazing Spider-Man 2, though his credits also extend to projects ranging from The Lion King to Gladiator.

During a recent interview with Josh Horowitz, Zimmer was asked whether Marvel Studios has ever come calling in a bid to bring Zimmer into the MCU.

"They have, and it was always... timing wasn’t great," he explained. "And really, quite honestly, I’m looking for other things right now. Look, I’ve done the trifecta - I’ve done Batman, Superman, and Spider-Man, and Wonder Woman! I mean, what do you want me to do, some of the minor characters?"

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

Fans would undoubtedly lose their minds if Zimmer were to board Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, for example. Earth's Mightiest Heroes would certainly be one way to top the likes of Batman and Superman, anyway.

The composer was later revealed whether he's considered heading into a Galaxy Far, Far Away. "I think the Star Wars thing, I think Ludwig [Göransson] is doing some very interesting things," Zimmer said, referring to the composer behind The Mandalorian and Marvel Studios' Black Panther.

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

Zimmer's recent projects include The Creator, Dune: Part Two, Kung Fu Panda 4, and Blitz. Looking to the future, we'll get to hear his scores in this summer's F1 movie and, when it eventually happens, Denis Villeneuve's Dune: Messiah

Will Kevin Feige ever manage to convince Zimmer to join the MCU? If the right project comes along, then yes, and the upcoming X-Men reboot is another exciting possibility. 

You can listen to the full interview with Zimmer in the player below. 

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Kadara
Kadara - 3/7/2025, 6:39 AM
That was very arrogant of me to say that, but actually, Kevin Feige said that to me: 'Hans, what are you complaining about?'"

Don
OrgasmicPotatoe
OrgasmicPotatoe - 3/7/2025, 6:44 AM
...so they offered him IronHeart ?
harryba11zack
harryba11zack - 3/7/2025, 6:50 AM
@OrgasmicPotatoe - Zimmer does music, not rap
TDKRnry88
TDKRnry88 - 3/7/2025, 8:09 AM
@harryba11zack - true except rap is music. Not your type of music, but it's music (or was. It fell off since the 2010s).
DarthOmega
DarthOmega - 3/7/2025, 8:58 AM
@TDKRnry88 - I'm a major rap fan from like 2008 on back. After then it became like one long ass song. Especially the 2010s till now. A few exceptions of course (Coast Contra) but damn near everything else isn't worth my time.
MakeAmericaGrea
MakeAmericaGrea - 3/7/2025, 10:03 AM
@DarthOmega -

I like some '80s to '00s rap and hip hop.

Like with most 2020s music, it's just not great.

The 2025 Super Bowl halftime show is boring and lame.
DarthOmega
DarthOmega - 3/7/2025, 10:12 AM
@MakeAmericaGrea - I feel like a Coast Contra evangelist. If you like 80s to 00s rap, you will love these guys. Two are the twin sons of Ras Kass, one is an Afro Latino who raps bilingual and the other is a guy named Eric Jamal, who is the best rapper in the group, and in my opinion has earned his place as one of the top 20 MCs. That is a big list so it's not easy for me to say that.

?si=93eGUdAIWQjiTjEU

That's just a small sample. These guys are truly talented
DarthAlgar
DarthAlgar - 3/7/2025, 11:41 AM
@DarthOmega - Snoop said it best about modern day rap.


marvel72
marvel72 - 3/7/2025, 11:47 AM
@OrgasmicPotatoe - Echo, Ms.Marvel and Agatha as well.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 3/7/2025, 11:52 AM
@DarthOmega - I mean rap was top tier for a long time. Now it's almost become a parody. But so has most popular music. Guitar rock all but killed itself with Kirt Cobain died and it just took some time before it fully bled out. Music just isn't great anymore. There's some good indie stuff but popular music is horrendous for the most part.
DarthOmega
DarthOmega - 3/7/2025, 11:54 AM
@DarthAlgar - And people called him a hater for saying that. That's what I mean about one long ass song. Bro for 15 years people have just been copying each others style. Producers and rappers. I'm an old man yelling at clouds I know, but I do have ears.

On the bright side. It has allowed me to dig in the crates of the past and find gems I slept on.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 3/7/2025, 11:54 AM
@DarthOmega - damn that's absolutely fire. Coast Contra is a fire group name too.
DarthOmega
DarthOmega - 3/7/2025, 12:09 PM
@McMurdo - Ok one more video lol. The reason I find these guys interesting is they are hardcore students of the genre. They learned from the best, elevated it in a way, and they keep each other sharp. This video is long, but it's a great showcase of their skill

McMurdo
McMurdo - 3/7/2025, 12:14 PM
@DarthOmega - why aren't these guys huge? It is because they are considered more retro 90s, almost Bone Thugs esque and all the hype is in auto tune mumble pornography or what? These dudes are perhaps thee most talented group of hip hop artists I've hears in forever and yet before this, never once heard their name. This is real hip hop. It's literally depressing how I've never heard of these guys.
DarthOmega
DarthOmega - 3/7/2025, 12:23 PM
@McMurdo - Here's the crazy part. This is just a sample of them rapping over Leaders of the New School and A Tribe Calle Quest's Scenario beat. These guys flip styles like crazy. Retro, modern, and even futuristic.

I have my own personal conspiracy theories about why rap that actually makes you use your brain is no longer promoted, but that would hijack this thread more than I already have.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 3/7/2025, 12:26 PM
@DarthOmega - eh this is comic book movie. Indulge Me.
DarthOmega
DarthOmega - 3/7/2025, 12:41 PM
@McMurdo - In recent years there has been a subgenre of rap called "Dead Ops" an offshoot of "Drill rap' It's where rappers rap about murders. Nothing new right? I've heard gangsta lyrics since I was a kid. But this is different. The murders they rap about... They actually did.

They actually give out details of the murders on their songs. They make videos at the literal graves of the deceased. They even name names. No subliminals. All of the dead were under 25 years of age, but some are as young as 15. The artists themselves either did it, or are heavily involved. I'm talking rappers even ordering hits (And I aint talkin bout hit records) So why would an industry overlook actual artists in favor of violent criminals? Why would a culture embrace this?

I've watched entertainment specifically black entertainment erode over the years. It all seems intentional. It's not just hurting my community, it's the #1 form of music in America as a whole and has been for the last decade. It perfectly aligns with the degradation of culture. I can point the finger at the record companies, the artists, and even the consumer. But there is no denying culture seems to be declining. I think every generation says this about the younger generation, but this seems like a dramatic acceleration. It doesn't seem organic at all.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 3/7/2025, 1:00 PM
@DarthOmega - yeah the Chicago drill rap scene really became normative. I don't know whose to blame for bringing it such mass appeal with the youth, but it can be traced to King Louie and Pac Man....but Chief Keef is clearly where it really took off. Then Durk and King Von just abrasive sang about their own crimes in their content like it was nothing. It's become the new gangster thing to do, talk about how you kill people in your music. Social media is certainly a big reason for it's boom but there are clearly record labels pushing it.
DarthOmega
DarthOmega - 3/7/2025, 1:13 PM
@McMurdo - Damn bro. I was coming at this as general as possible not knowing you knew about rap like that. Lol. So you know what I'm saying when I talk about how drastically this shit has changed. The music seems soilless, repetitive and straight up dark. Monotone garbage that seems like programming rather than music.
LiquidSwords
LiquidSwords - 3/7/2025, 4:52 PM
@harryba11zack - Keeps it classy.
LiquidSwords
LiquidSwords - 3/7/2025, 4:53 PM
@TDKRnry88 - It tries to be music.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 3/7/2025, 5:06 PM
@DarthOmega - yeah it's awful man. There's very little substance in any of it now outside artists and groups that are indie or lesser know like Coast Contra. And those dudes that glorify that stuff all end up with Rico charges or they end up killed on the streets like Von. It makes no sense to publicly diss people you know can send hitmen after you especially when you are posting your location via streaming, tik token, yt live etc. People will stalk your socials and hunt you down. Happened to xxxtentacion and plenty of others. I'm surprised Durk is even alive but his career is probably over now too with his charges.

I'm a big music fan and I've always loved and appreciated good hip hop and rap and have kept up with what's popular even if I don't personally find it compelling.
OrgasmicPotatoe
OrgasmicPotatoe - 3/7/2025, 5:22 PM
@harryba11zack - bruh dont be tellin me you forgot about this bangerino

harryba11zack
harryba11zack - 3/7/2025, 5:27 PM
@OrgasmicPotatoe - User Comment Image
OrgasmicPotatoe
OrgasmicPotatoe - 3/7/2025, 5:30 PM
@harryba11zack - That's right, put your earbuds in and listen, it's straight fire !
Slotherin
Slotherin - 3/8/2025, 9:05 AM
@TDKRnry88 - mainstream rap is garbage. The underground still has good stuff. I recommend giving CunninLynguists, Tonedeff, Sadistik or Substantial a go.
Slotherin
Slotherin - 3/8/2025, 9:10 AM
@DarthOmega - I'm reminded of how a rapper got flack from his record label because he was overtly misogynist... But the thing is, being offensive and belligerent wasn't new... The issue as it was suggested by someone was that he strayed from the script which okayed if he's talking about shooting up his own hood or gang shit... I'll try to find the video on it. Explains it better than I am right now.
Slotherin
Slotherin - 3/8/2025, 9:28 AM
@DarthOmega - y'all got me thinking on female rappers btw....
There's good ones out there, Angel Haze, Lucy Camp... But the mainstream seems to operate off this:
?si=zoB0XYZGh_xPv8RR
DarthOmega
DarthOmega - 3/8/2025, 10:07 AM
@Slotherin - I love this guy's videos. Never saw this one. Spot on lol
TheJok3r
TheJok3r - 3/7/2025, 6:48 AM
Artists tend to not want to do the same thing forever, so it's not surprising that he wanted to move on from Superheroes after working on the big 4.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 3/7/2025, 6:57 AM
Fair enough on him looking for other types of projects right now other then superhero fare but hopefully he does do Marvel one day aswell as Star Wars since he doesn’t outright say he wouldn’t…

He’s one of the greatest composers of all time so it would be nice to have him lend his talents to either franchise!!

User Comment Image
TDKRnry88
TDKRnry88 - 3/7/2025, 8:10 AM
@TheVisionary25 - The Prince of Egypt as well.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 3/7/2025, 8:13 AM
@TDKRnry88 - yes

I also like his Sherlock Holmes theme

?si=r7YXEqxFwlrXPnfl
Orphix
Orphix - 3/7/2025, 7:00 AM
He is....and always will be...'Going for Gold' to me.

Easily his best work.
GeneralZod
GeneralZod - 3/7/2025, 7:00 AM
He's earned the right to say what he pleases. His works speak for themselves. Article does not say that he did X-Men! Yes, he did the absolutely brilliant score for Dark Phoenix.
PartyKiller
PartyKiller - 3/7/2025, 7:04 AM
His music wouldn't fit Marvel. Marvel's music is forgettable and generic most of the time. Zimmer's work on The Bible mini series may be his best work. But of course, that could not be mentioned in the article. If it had been a pro Islam movie, it would've been mentioned.
Lem1
Lem1 - 3/7/2025, 9:18 AM
@PartyKiller - The article didn't mention his amazing mysic 4 X-Men: Dark Phoenix, Black Hawk Down, Beyond Rangoon, The Power of One, Interstellar, Inception, Dune Part One, so I wouldn't make up conspiracy theories about why it doesn't mention the lesser known and incredibly epic music for The Bible Miniseries. Till now, I been feeling like the only one aware of that soundtrack almost. Good call 😎👏
VileBlood
VileBlood - 3/7/2025, 12:13 PM
@PartyKiller - I wouldn't call The Avengers theme music forgettable.
TheOtherOn
TheOtherOn - 3/7/2025, 12:20 PM
@Lem1 - Article also totally forgot about another very popular and awesome gem!

PartyKiller
PartyKiller - 3/9/2025, 8:50 PM
@VileBlood - It was similar to Schumacher's Batman theme. Not unique.
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