About a year and a half ago, Every Frame a Painting on Youtube asked one question of his viewers: "Can you sing any [song] from a Marvel movie?" The answer, for the most part, was a resounding "No." Despite the franchise's enormity, the soundtracks in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have flown completely under the radar.

By now, though, there is one song that is recognizable to at least the die-hard Marvel fan: The Avengers theme. Even when Every Frame a Painting's video came out, the comments section housed several people whose first thought was that opening fanfare to the first Avengers movie. And now, just after Infinity War, there are doubtlessly countless others who have this theme in their minds. Because Infinity War played this theme relentlessly.

I counted, the second time I saw it. Fourteen times. The Avengers theme plays fourteen times in Infinity War. Compare that to the eight times the theme plays in the original Avengers film, and we have a bit of a problem.

It's not entirely a bad thing. I mean, this is an Avengers movie. Sometimes, the theme even fits perfectly, like when Tony calls Peter an Avenger or when Thor finally touches down on Earth and joins the rest of the team in Wakanda. But, other times, it plays simply because a scene calls for dramatic music. And therein lies the issue with nearly every Marvel film.

Though some Marvel films opt for standard, underwhelming action movie music, most of these films do write a musical theme for their central hero or team. Captain America has this. Iron Man has this (and this, and this). The issue is that, other than that one theme, the rest of each of these films is occupied by the same standard, underwhelming action movie music as the rest of them. Each of these heroes gets their one theme for that one movie, and it is played over every action scene and doesn't represent anything beyond the general idea of that hero.

Now, in Infinity War, the Avengers theme, the only entirely memorable Marvel song representing the grand collaboration between our heroes, makes its reappearance. And it makes that reappearance without a care for the context it is placed in or the emotional impact it should and could have. Instead, it is played whenever a scene needs dramatic music. It plays as Thor makes his ax. It plays as Doctor Strange and Iron Man fight the Black Order at the beginning of the film. It plays during nearly every battle, whether the heroes are acting as a team or not.

At the very least, I ask that this film be more thoughtful about where it puts what could be a hard-hitting musical piece, one that reminded us of where we came from in the original Avengers and the enormity of this last minute, patchwork team of heroes coming together for one last stand. There is a reason musicals use reprises in their saddest scenes, or why Pixar turns its happiest soundtracks on their heads to create heartbreak. Music can represent an idea, a theme, and by bringing a song back at the perfect moment, can make a scene evoke specific emotions just by reminding our subconscious of all that came before it. The Avengers theme sticks in people's minds and Marvel could have made this movie ten times more emotional just by being a little more selective about where it placed it.

In an ideal world, though, I'll say this:

In a film as large as this and with so many intersecting storylines, individual characters often fall by the wayside. But, there is one thing that nearly every individual or team in this movie should and could have: a musical theme. Keeping some aspect of their musical themes intact for this final movie would help carry their individual stories into this movie, invite some interesting combinations of themes as heroes begin to work together, and musically convey all that the rapid movement of the story can't.

Imagine, if you will, the opening of Infinity War or the moment Thor asks Rocket, "What more could I lose?" coupled with a variation of "Letting Go," the song that first played when Loki died in Thor. Imagine Captain America emerging from the shadows not with the Avengers theme, since the Avengers are far from assembled in this scene, but with the Captain America theme, mixed with the strings of the Winter Soldier soundtrack as Cap's second film's team assembles. Imagine Iron Man's techie themes clashing with Doctor Strange's time-bending strings as they bicker back and forth. And then, imagine the separate themes from each film diverging and melding as the heroes meet throughout the film, all leading up to the team coming together in Wakanda with, finally, the roaring sound of The Avengers theme.

Obviously, the issue of musical rights is a looming one, but these ideas can easily be broken down to their essentials. Iron Man is the electric guitar. Captain America is a trumpet. Thor is a cello. Use them separately to explore their individual story arcs, or meld them together and they form an orchestra for that one last hurrah.

I want to leave you with something.

There is one Marvel movie that uses music to its full potential: Thor. Yeah, Thor. Thor, the character, does not have a theme. Instead, there are three central music themes in the first Thor film: what I call the Mighty Thor theme, the Broken Family theme, and the Throne of Asgard theme.

The Mighty Thor theme represents the general public's understanding of who Thor is: loud, cocksure, self-absorbed, impulsive, and enormous in personality and stature -- AKA exactly what Thor is at the beginning of this film. It plays a few times throughout the film, most notably during Thor's original coronation scene. It doesn't pop up nearly as often as the other two, though.

The Broken Family theme represents the distance between loved ones, whether that distance is physical or emotional. It plays a lot in this movie, which is expected, a few scenes being when Loki discovers why his father took him from Jotenheim, as Thor and Loki battle at the end of the film, and when Loki decides to let go. Listen for it, the next time you watch, and you'll see it crop up consistently.

My favorite though is the Throne of Asgard theme. It represents the royal family, its legacy, and Asgard itself. It plays as Odin explains the trials and war he has faced as king that he will pass on to his sons when he meets his end, as Thor talks to his father about the throne he will one day inherit, and, six years later and perhaps most importantly, here:

Six years later, this coronation scene at the very end of Thor: Ragnarok is a mirror of Thor's original coronation scene at the very beginning of Thor, though of all of the symbolic differences here, one stands out. Where Thor entered his original intended coronation with the grand, self-absorbed pride of The Mighty Thor, he enters his final coronation carrying humility, a humble heart, and the weight of the legacy of both his father and his people to the tune of the Throne of Asgard theme. His purpose, point of view, and priorities have shifted, and all of that is clear in the use of a simple song.

No other Marvel movie has done anything like this. But they have the potential to. So, now, I only ask that Marvel put some extra thought into that Infinity War: Part 2 soundtrack.