7 Bizarre Marvel Cinematic Universe Song Drops You Totally Forgot About

Famous songs are a cornerstone of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Heck, the franchise’s very first scene (the opening of Iron Man) was set to AC/DC’s “Back in Black”. Since then, MCU films like Guardians of the Galaxy, Thor: Ragnarok, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and so many others have famously utilized iconic songs for sweeping sequences audiences never forget. But not every needle drop in this franchise is one that created an iconic moment. On the contrary, countless uses of recognizable pre-existing tunes within the Marvel Cinematic Universe have slipped through the cracks of the public consciousness.

In their original forms, these tunes topped the Billboard charts and dazzled radio listeners everywhere. But in their Marvel Cinematic Universe usage, they just breezed past viewers without drawing any attention. Now it’s time to give seven especially oddball Marvel Cinematic Universe needle drops their flowers.

“California Love” by 2Pac, Dr. Dre & Roger Troutman in Iron Man 2

In his larger big-screen trajectory, Tony Stark/Iron Man spent a lot of time in New York City and outer space. When he first appeared in Iron Man and Iron Man 2, though, a unique facet of the live-action version of Iron Man was that he lived on the West Coast rather than New York, where most Marvel heroes resided. Inevitably, this armored Avenger crossed paths with the ultimate California tune, “California Love” by 2Pac, Dr. Dre & Roger Troutman, in Iron Man 2. Unfortunately, given the deluge of needle drops in Iron Man 2, 2Pac’s big Marvel Cinematic Universe debut was impossible to remember against a barrage of AC/DC tracks.

“Single Ladies” by Beyonce in Doctor Strange

“Dormammu! I’ve come to bargain!” Those two lines, along with its trippiest visuals, have defined Doctor Strange’s pop culture legacy. Any other humorous moments have inevitably been forgotten in the sands of time. That includes a scene where Wong (after being non-responsive after Doctor Strange asks him if he knows who Beyonce is) sitting in the Kamar-Taj library listening to “Single Ladies” by Beyonce. It’s a cute gag that briefly lets this gloriously peppy song hit people’s eardrums. In hindsight, it also works to show Wong’s lighter side that would come to the forefront in She-Hulk and Shang-Chi.

“Come On Get Happy” by The Partridge Family in Ant-Man and the Wasp

The specifics of the Ant-Man movies tend to get lost in larger Marvel Cinematic Universe discussions, especially in a post-Quantumania world. That means details like that Ant-Man and the Wasp utilized “Come on Get Happy,” the theme song to The Patridge Family, have remained oddly obscure. However, this bouncy tune did indeed kick off this Marvel Cinematic Universe installment. Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang even briefly sings a few lines of the song through the magic of a karaoke machine. Who knew 1970s sitcoms and 2018 blockbuster cinema would ever merge?

“Come As You Are” by Nirvana in Captain Marvel

The 1990s rock needle drops in Captain Marvel never quite took off as, say, the period-era ditties from Guardians of the Galaxy. This means everyone has forgotten that Nirvana’s “Come As You Are” showed up in a key sequence where Annette Bening’s Supreme Intelligence, clad in a leather jacket, torments Carol Danvers. Making this needle drop extra puzzling is that it isn’t the first time this particular Nirvana track has been connected to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. “Come As You Are” was the centerpiece of the very first Netflix Defenders teaser trailer, after all.

“Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Malia J in Black Widow

Hey, more Nirvana! Setting Black Widow’s opening credits, chronicling the adolescent torment of Natasha, Yelena, and other young girls in the Black Widow training program, to “Smells Like Teen Spirit” isn’t an inherently kooky idea. What makes this needle drop so unexpected is what version of “Teen Spirit” is utilized. A cover version from Malia J is used that, as near as this writer can tell, was first publicly released in 2015 with the release of the main trailer for The Gallows. Who knew that long-forgotten horror movie bomb would be in any way connected to the blockbuster feature kicking off Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Opting for such an obscure rendition of a famous grunge anthem makes this one of the most inexplicable Marvel Cinematic Universe needle drops.

[Related: 5 MCU Villains That Should Cameo in Marvel’s Thunderbolts]

“I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” by Aerosmith in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

When Shang-Chi and Katy go do some karaoke at the start of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, they inevitably sing some popular karaoke staples like “A Whole New World” and “Old Town Road.” One tune they belt out, though, is Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.” This more unexpected pick provides a bit of Mouse House synergy since it originated in the 1998 Touchstone Pictures release, Armageddon. Disney really never passes up a chance for cross-promotion.

“Mama Tried” in Eternals

When the modern incarnation of Don Lee’s Gilgamesh finally shows up wearing an apron and giant grin in Eternals, he’s accompanied by a totally unexpected needle drop for a 2021 blockbuster. The mid-20th century twang of Merle Haggard belting “Mama Tried” fills the soundtrack. This classic country tune is the last thing anyone would imagine showing up in a sci-fi epic, but it actually fits a bit into writer/director Chloe Zhao’s larger creative tendencies. After all, this needle drop echoes Toby Keith’s country hit “I Love This Bar” briefly showing up in Zhao’s 2020 feature, Nomadland.

Marvel Cinematic Universe films are streaming on Disney+.