Marvel films are full of unforgettable soundtracks, sound effects, and scores that excite/resonate with fans especially when it brings light to some of their favorite characters and their storylines through diegetic and non-diegetic sound.
Diegetic sound, is sound that is heard within the world of the film. From music on a character’s radio, to dialogue, and even sounds effects created by the characters and world around them. Non-diegetic sound on the other hand is not heard by the characters, and instead is just heard by the audience. Although the characters within the film cannot hear the non-diegetic sounds like the movies score or soundtrack, it still provides a significant meaning and purpose to the narrative of the film and contributes to the characters and their storyline. Marvel films appreciate the importance of both non-diegetic and diegetic sound throughout all of their films, but most specifically they focus on the importance of homing in on how diegetic sound can manipulate characters and their contribution to the plot.
For example, in the film “Spider-Man Far from Home,” the character Mysterio who is “technically a superhero,” well more of an innovative techie who relies on technology and special effects to control and create illusions as his superpowers utilizes diegetic sound in a post-production format. In many scenes in this film, Mysterio is supposedly present whether that be fighting bad guys, Spider-Man or filling the role of other characters to confuse and deceive Peter, he is actually physically present in a room behind the scenes controlling his audio and visuals for others to be manipulated by including Nick Fury, Spider-Man and the public.
This scene exhibits the importance of diegetic sound, but also the power of manipulation and the polished feel that post-production sound can provide to a film. Although post-production sound is not recorded physically in the world of the film, it still is produced and created to be a more clear, resonant sound to enter the film and be heard by all characters, thus making it a new and unique diegetic sound. Mysterios voice, and the characters voices he embodies in this scene are all modulated and edited in a way that must be a part of the post-production process, but still represented as a diegetic sound since he is technically physically “present” in this scene fighting Spider-Man. This creates a confusing and mind twisting feel to this scene, among others with Mysterio for he plays with Peters mind and relies on how sound can confuse and misplace someone from their own reality.
Sound in films can create a new reality, one that fans love to be confused by and in a sense a part of and so this film among other Marvel films, focuses on how the sound of their films whether that be the score, soundtrack, diegetic, or non-diegetic sound, leaves audiences moved and amazed by how the sound is recorded and heard by the characters, and how it sounds in the theaters as they enjoy watching these stories unfold.
