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The best Zoom backgrounds: fun Zoom backgrounds - Star Wars, Marvel and more

Put some fun into your Zoom video calls.

08 May 2020
We all Zoom now. That’s the life we lead, in front of a laptop putting on a brave face in work meetings, hoping that those on the other side don’t realise that it’s only your top half that’s been dressed.
Zoom (other video-conferencing apps are available) hasn’t just taken over our work lives but it is how we also party.
Friday nights are now ‘Zoom game nights’, in front of your zoom friends, drink in hand, looking up the nostrils of those who can’t quite position their webcam properly, shouting over each other, admiring everyone’s living rooms, knowing that there’s definitely a pile of laundry out of eyeshot in the corner, laughing at everyone’s quarantine hair.
We all Zoom now.
But, things can be different. You know this, because Zoom is your life, but you can change the background of your Zoom profile. You don’t have to be in your living room, but can be (virtually) anywhere in the world with just a few clicks.

How to change your zoom background

How to change your zoom background, we hear you cry? (Actual cry, because emotions are high right now). Well, click on the up arrow next to the video icon (bottom left), click Choose Virtual Background, click Green Screen off (unless you actually have a green screen) then the little plus sign. This will bring up the option to add a picture from your desktop.
And the following links will offer up the best zoom backgrounds around.
Stay safe and enjoy!

1. Star Wars Zoom backgrounds

As the real world has gone to shit, the Star Wars universe with its mountains of space junk, lovable rogues that will kill you for a hot meal, and constant battles between the light and the dark side, feels quite comforting right now. These Star Wars Zoom backgrounds will put right in the centre of the action with the likes of Cloud City, Coruscant and the Death Star all officially available.

2. Studio Ghibli Zoom backgrounds


With a boatload of Studio Ghibli titles available on Netflix, the Japanese animation giant is having something of a resurgence right now and we couldn’t be happier. These backgrounds are gorgeous, taken from a number of Studio Ghibli movies, From Spirited Away, My Neighbour Tortoro and more.

3. Street Fighter Zoom backgrounds

Street Fighter is one of the greatest game franchises ever made and its backgrounds have always been filled with wonderful little quirks, so much that they sometimes take your eye away from Chun-Li’s bloody spinning bird kick. These backgrounds include Balrog’s Las Vegas scene, Vega’s Spanish cage and Dhalsim’s Indian palace.

4. Star Trek Zoom backgrounds

CBS All Access is offering up Star Trek Discovery and Picard backgrounds for your Zoom pleasure. You can download images of the main deck of the ships or the place where you can get beamed up. None of them feature the main cast, though, which is a shame.

5. The Simpsons Zoom backgrounds

There’s not just Simpsons, but Bob’s Burgers too in the stash of Fox cartoons. While we would have liked The Simpsons couch, the image in Moe’s Tavern is a lot of fun. If you are after a couch, then there’s the Family Guy one available, too.

6. DC Comics Zoom backgrounds

DC is offering up perhaps the best zoom backgrounds right now. As it says on its site: “as a fun gift to you, we’ve assembled a collection of virtual backgrounds representing some of your favourite places within the DC Universe. From the gates of Arkham Asylum to the jungles of Gorilla City to the iconic globe of the Daily Planet.”
There’s also the Batcave which is, frankly, awesome.

7. Marvel Comics Zoom backgrounds

Not to be outdone by DC, the Marvel backgrounds are a lot of fun. It\s mostly a lot of Avengers stills and the Avengers logo but who wouldn’t want to pretend to be in Dr Strange’s lair? There are also a couple of comic-book ones. The one representing some of the best comic covers is our pick.

8. BBC Zoom backgrounds

Get out my pub! Is what you will be screaming when you have the Queen Vic as a zoom background. That’s just one of many empty sets from the BBC archives you can use. There’s also Match of the Day, Doctor Who and much more. This is a brilliant treasure trove - thank you, Auntie Beeb!

9. Game of Thrones Zoom background

You can now pretend to sit on the Iron Throne, thanks to HBO’s generous offer of free Zoom backgrounds. If you don’t fancy GoT, then Avenue 5, Last Week Tonight and WestWorld backgrounds to choose from. But, it’s the throne that we are interested in, even if it does look a tad uncomfortable.

10. Super Mario Odyssey Zoom backgrounds

Super Mario Odyssey is one of the most beautiful games ever made, so these Zoom backgrounds are simply gorgeous. Don’t panic that the site is in Japanese, just switch on Google’s translate tool and download the brilliant imagery.

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