Music Movies
Kevin Feige Makes Surprise Appearance At The Hollywood Bowl and Michael Giacchino Wows Fans With 4 Minutes Of New Score for THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS During Marvel Studios’ Infinity Saga Concert Experience
All photographs of Marvel Studios’ Infinity Saga Concert Experience at the Hollywood Bowl – Farah Sosa on behalf of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association.
WAMG was among a crowd of thousands Saturday night at the Hollywood Bowl for the Global premiere of Marvel Studios’ Infinity Saga Concert Experience.
Over the Labor Day weekend, new and old fans assembled to relive iconic moments from the MCU, all accompanied by a live orchestra, stunning projection mapping on the Bowl shell, fireworks, surprises… And there were surprises!
Disney Concerts, Marvel Studios and the Los Angeles Philharmonic captivated the audience with the Marvel Studios’ Infinity Saga Concert experience. Conducted by LA Phil Music & Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel, this momentous concert was an epic on-screen cinematic journey, covering 23 films from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in a single unforgettable experience, exclusively at the Hollywood Bowl.
Opening with the recognizable Marvel Studios fanfare, the evening began when president of Marvel Studios Kevin Feige walked out on stage to introduce the event to a cheering crowd. As he spoke about the night ahead for fans, Feige concluded his intro by telling the audience, “as with all Marvel movies, be sure to wait for the very end of the concert for a surprise.”
He also presented conductor Gustavo Dudamel, who was wearing his own gauntlet, with his own Vibranium Baton.
The audience revisited the earliest days of Iron Man, Captain America and Thor as they discovered their place in the MCU—each accompanied by their unforgettable heroic music. Captain America, The First Avenger, had a wonderful musical number that replicated the film’s “Buy Bonds” scenes complete with dancers, the vibrant choir and fireworks. The song “Star Spangled Man” from beloved songwriters Alan Menken and David Zippel was a spirited crowd-pleaser.
The LA Philharmonic recaptured the excitement as Earth’s mightiest heroes joined forces for the first time and opened the door to the next wave of Avengers: Black Panther, Doctor Strange, Captain Marvel and more. A poignant emotional moment was hearing the themes from Sony/Marvel’s Spider-Man films, complete with a terrific montage of scenes.
Also filling the air with his acoustic flair was Massamba Diop, the Senegalese drummer who played the talking drum in Black Panther. Diop is a world-renowned master of the talking drum, also known as the “tama”. His complex and crisp compositions can be heard throughout the film’s score.
The Guardians of the Galaxy didn’t miss this party, either, dropping in to deliver a taste of their iconic mixtape backed by the LA Phil. In addition, the custom-curated live-to-film experience featured iconic songs from AC/DC (“Back in Black”), Blue Swede and Björn Skifs (“Hooked on a Feeling”) and James Gunn and Tyler Bates (“Guardians Inferno”).
The spectacle culminated in revisiting the ultimate trials of the Infinity Saga. The theatrics of the presentation was true Hollywood – they turned the awe-inspiring shell into part of the multimedia experience. It really became Thanos’ gauntlet filled with all six infinity stones.
Across its nearly two-hour run time, Marvel Studios’ Infinity Saga Concert Experience showcased the scores of acclaimed Marvel composers, including Alan Silvestri, Christophe Beck, Danny Elfman, Henry Jackman, Lorne Balfe, Ludwig Göransson, Mark Mothersbaugh, Patrick Doyle, Pinar Toprak, Ramin Djawadi, Tyler Bates and Michael Giacchino.
Upon the conclusion of the night, Feige made good on his word. Composer Michael Giacchino came on stage wearing a light blue jacket with the Fantastic Four logo on his back. The crowd went wild when he announced he was surprising the night’s attendees with four minutes of his score for the upcoming movie. It was a moment of pandemonium for the fans.
From what was heard of the suite, The Fantastic Four: First Steps has a 1960’s moog vibe! Directed by Matt Shakman and starring Marvel’s first family, Pedro Pascal (Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby (Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn (Johnny Storm/The Human Torch) and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben Grimm/Thing) the upcoming feature film sees Galactus and Silver Surfer target Earth for destruction. Marvel Studios’ “Fantastic Four: First Steps” hits theaters on July 25, 2025.
Once the final beat of the music was played, The Hollywood Bowl sent fans off with an amazing fireworks display and reminded all of us why Marvel’s Infinity Saga was a story filled with heart and one of epic proportions.
Contributed by Michelle McCue, Gary Salem, Marc Butterfield, Melissa Thompson
If you’re ever in Hollywood, check out the Bowl’s Movie Nights. https://www.hollywoodbowl.com/concerts-and-events/movie-nights
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