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While Infinity War takes the music up to eleven, Alan Silvestri's musical mastery in this film takes it Up To 100 (and possibly beyond).
- Traffic's "Dear Mr. Fantasy
" is played over the Marvel Studios logo, adding an astonishingly appropriate bluesy feel to the first act. And on re-watch, it becomes a suitable song for the End of an Age of the MCU. - "Supersonic Rocket Ship" by The Kinks plays when Professor Hulk gives Scott a taco, and when he and Rocket go off to find Thor in New Asgard. It's a surprisingly optimistic song for a post-Snap world, and it really gives the encouragement needed for undoing the Snap.
- The blood-pumping "Doom and Gloom" by The Rolling Stones plays as the Avengers prepare to go back in time, which is more than inspiring for a trip through time.
- Though it only plays for a few seconds, "Hey Lawdy Mama" by Steppenwolf makes stepping into The '70s feel all the more alive and is the perfect send-off music for Stan Lee's final cameo.
- The last 30 seconds of "No Trust" echo the opening for the title card of Infinity War, but this time with extra trumpets and drums to emphasize that this is a finale to the Infinity Saga.
- "Totally Fine" is an appropriately Dark Reprise of "Porch" from the last scene of Infinity War before the credits. Whereas "Porch" has a serene and bittersweet tone, emphasizing that Infinity War is Thanos' film and that though he had to sacrifice so much, he completed his goal and is at peace in his garden, "Totally Fine" has a more intense and dark reprise of the music with drums, showing that this is now the Avengers' film, in which they just found out Thanos destroyed the Infinity Stones and the damage he did is irreversible. This makes the tone shift to downer since the Avengers are once again the protagonists and they have all lost hope. There's also a beautiful moment of Rewatch Bonus. Near the end of "Totally Fine," when Tony is recording his Video Will, re-watchers will notice the theme is very familiar. It's a section from "The Real Hero", beautifully book-ending the movie.
- "One Shot" feels like a deliberate Call-Back to "A Promise", much like how the scene it plays over calls back to Fury's promise that the Avengers will return when mankind needs them most, with the Avengers fulfilling their promise by being back when not just mankind but the whole universe needs them to set things right. Top it off with Captain America's Rousing Speech and the Avengers setting off to retrieve the Infinity Stones from the past and it's the ultimate They're Back moment of the MCU.
- "Becoming Whole Again" deserves props for setting the very bleak tone of the brave new world that Scott, who had only spent what he felt was five hours in the Quantum Realm, returns after five years. From his shock and awe at the world around him to the sheer terror that befalls his face when he realizes that he was pronounced dead for five years, this track does an amazing job at scoring what the world has become in Scott's absence. Thankfully, the track takes a turn for the sweet towards the end when Scott tearfully reunites with his now teenage daughter, whom he's so happy to see.
- The heist-infused version of the Avengers theme that plays in the scene where the group discusses the plans for the Time Heist, complete with subtle bongos. It's a small addition to the classic theme, but sets up a fun energy going into the high-stakes heist.
- The later portion of "Tres Amigos" (which plays as Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor confront 2014 Thanos in the ruins of the Avengers Facility) contains an intermittent string motif that perfectly captures how far Thanos has jumped off the slippery slope and truly become the Mad Titan as he announces his new plan to use the Infinity Stones to destroy the current universe and build a new one.
- There's so much to dissect regarding "Portals", including a brilliant Call-Back to "Assemble" from the first Avengers film.
- "Portals" builds up its majestic fanfare, until Professor Hulk shows up, with the piece transitioning into the same bombastic prelude that played during Banner's transformation into the Hulk before punching the Leviathan in the first film.
- In the first film, before "Assemble's" prelude, there was a portion with only strings. During "Portals", Banner and the Hulk are now merged; there's no hesitation or tension on the part of Banner, so "Portals" transitions straight to the prelude.
- In both films, it's Banner's emergence from a pile of rubble along with the prelude that signifies that all the Avengers are ready for the final fight. It's one reason why Doctor Strange asks Wong "Is that everyone?"
- The bombastic prelude in "Assemble" lasts for ten seconds. In Endgame, it's twenty seconds, to denote the enormity of the moment and the totality of all the current MCU heroes being assembled.
- The Avengers once more "reload", with Captain America "reloading" by summoning Mjolnir.
- Once the Avengers and Thanos' forces collide and engage in combat, it's a reprise of the music from the most famous shot of the first Avengers that showed them all in action in a single uninterrupted take. No piece could have been more appropriate.
- The music during Wanda's attack on Thanos, "Get This Thing Started," echoes the music from the first Avengers when Hawkeye and Widow fly the SHIELD jet up Stark Tower and almost unleash a minigun on Loki, "There Is Only The War."
- During "The One," there is a reprise of "One-Way Trip," (starts from 1:27) the music that played as Tony flew into space in the first Avengers film. The fact that it fits so seamlessly in Endgame that it took some good-eared fans to make the connection is a testament to Silvestri's abilities as a composer.
- "The Real Hero", a somber piece near the end of the film when we're shown Earth's lives slowly returning to normal, then Tony's Video Will and his funeral. We do remember who is the one hero who gave it all.
- The second half of "This is My Choice" starting around 2:17 from Captain America's first movie is reprised when Old Man Cap hands over the shield to Sam Wilson/Falcon. This piece is used in the first Captain America movie when Steve tells Peggy he's going to crash Red Skull's plane and he assumes it will end in his death. It is used again when Steve actively makes the choice for the Captain America legacy to live on through Sam, resulting in an awesome moment that will leave you sobbing happy tears.
- "It's Been a Long, Long Time". When that theme played to signify the reunion of Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter in the past after the former returned as an old man to pass on the shield, and the legend, to Sam Wilson. "Go Ahead" as the theme for when the hand-over took place cements the transition.
- The first half of "Main on End" is basically a rearranged "Portals", which is fitting as the film is one huge tribute to the All-Star Cast of the franchise, mirroring the one big scene in the film. The last third stands out for its dedication to the Big Six, who started and carried the franchise all along, with a rearranged Avengers' Theme. Endgame will not be the end of the MCU, but with this piece, it serves as a great send-off for them.
- In a musical tribute to Iron Man, a melancholic jazzy-symphonic version of "Make Way for Tomorrow Today" plays to wrap up the ending credits, along with the six clanks of Tony making his first suit of armor in his debut movie.
