
SPOILER ALERT: This story discusses some plot developments in Marvel Studios’ ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’, which is playing in theaters now.
“Thor: Love and Thunder” sees Chris Hemsworth return as the title character, joined by Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, his ex-girlfriend who takes his powers. The duo are tasked with confronting Christian Bale’s Gorr the God Butcher, who is wreaking havoc across the multiverses, killing all the Gods he can.
For the soundtrack to the superhero tale, director Taika Waititi turned to the songs of Guns N’ Roses.
In an interview with Loudersound, Waititi said: “You know, I always come home late at night and instead of going on, you know, Pornhub, I’ll go watch old GN’R clips because I loved it the band. But I think I’m still in love with the band back when there was the band, you know, that band: the music video for ‘Paradise City’, like that thing when the hair was long and they had been brushed, you know?
In addition to songs from GNR’s debut album, “Appetite for Destruction”, Waititi uses “November Rain”, from the 1991 studio album, “Use Your Illusion II”.
Did Waititi speak with lead singer Axl Rose before using the band’s songs? The director said in another interview with Rolling Stone: “At one point the music supervisors said, ‘You might have to argue with Axl. But I was just getting scared. He’s one of the biggest icons for me.
Waititi also turned to Enya (“Only Time”), Mary J. Blige (“Family Affair”) and ABBA (“Our Last Summer”) for other musical moments.
The film’s score is courtesy of co-composers Michael Giacchino and Nami Melumad. Melumad is the first female scorer in the Star Trek franchise, composing for “Star Trek: Prodigy” and most recently, “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.”
‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ marks Giacchino’s fourth film of the year, following ‘The Batman’, ‘Lightyear’ and ‘Jurassic World Dominion’.
The composer recorded the score over 12 days with a 94-piece orchestra and a 36-member choir. The orchestra featured 12 horns and eight trombones, and, interestingly, no woodwinds, which is unusual for film music. To enhance the 80s rock vibe, Giacchino added guitar, drums and synth.
Waititi places equal emphasis on music which reinforces his extraordinary style of storytelling. He said, “I really feel like we’re making this a funnier, bigger adventure with even cooler characters and a really great soundtrack.”
Here’s a guide to the Guns N’ Roses songs featured in “Thor: Love and Thunder” which is out now.
“Welcome to the Jungle” – Guns N’ Roses
Considered one of the greatest hard rock songs of all time, this song plays when Thor and the Guardians of the Galaxy joined forces. While the Guardians only appear for a few minutes, the song is heard over an edit that shows Thor and the Guardians going into battle.
“Paradise City” – Guns N’ Roses
As the audience discovers New Asgard, “Paradise City” is played.
“Sweet Child O’ Mine” – Guns N’ Roses
First heard in the trailer, “Sweet Child O’ Mine”, the band’s third single released in 1988, is repeated several times throughout the film. Memorably, this plays as goats come crashing into Omnipotence City.
“November Rain” – Guns N’ Roses
The ballad features an epic guitar solo from Slash, who plays during a climactic battle between Thor and Mighty Thor (Portman) as they take on Gorr.