October 8, 2021
Final Episode Score of Marvel’s WHAT IF…? Released Today – Composer Laura Karpman Reflects on Each Episode
Available today, WHAT IF…THE WATCHER BROKE HIS OATH?, the final episode of season one, features score by Emmy-winning composer Laura Karpman. The score was produced by Karpman and Nora Kroll-Rosenbaum and album producers are Brad Winderbaum, Bryan Andrews and Dave Jordan.
Reflecting on the season, Karpman commented on each episode:
What If…Captain Carter Were the First Avenger? (Ep.1) – “I am so proud to be the composer of ‘WHAT IF…?’ Victoria Alonso, Kevin Feige, Brad Winderbaum, and Bryan Andrews gave me the perfect composer playground, rooted in the Marvel experience and the freedom to explore outside of it! In episode one, I got to play with the traditional sound for Captain America and transform it. What a great experience!”
What If…T’Challa Became a Star-Lord? (Ep. 2) – “Episode 2 is a mashup of themes from ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ and ‘Black Panther’ – they surprisingly go well together. We also very much honor our beloved Chadwick Boseman with a musical tribute.”
What If…The World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes? (Ep. 3) – “’What If… the World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes?’ is a mystery-thriller and the score makes the most of this mini-movie! It is truly epic!”
What If…Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands? (Ep.4) – “Stephen and Christina have a big and ultimately tragic love story. It made my heart hurt to score it, but it was an honor to be able to support this incredibly beautiful story.”
What If…Zombies?! (Ep.5) – “When the zombies find their way into the MCU, the score gets weird, wacky and ultimately super scary!”
What If…Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark? (Ep. 6) – “One of the things that I love about Ludwig’s ‘Black Panther’ score, is that Killmonger is represented by an 808 sound. I took that sound and exploded it to make something new for our show!”
What If…Thor Was an Only Child? (Ep. 7) – “The party episode! A romantic comedy! Scary mother! What a fun time we had with this circus.”
What If…Ultron Won? (Ep. 8) – “The Watcher’s identity is put to the test, as well as The Watcher theme: The score incorporates The Watcher’s traditional orchestration with signature electronics that grow and grow, as Ultron‘s power expands.
What If…The Watcher Broke His Oath? (Ep. 9) – “Finally in episode nine, The Watcher emerges as a powerful force. The Guardians Of The Multiverse are born and so is their epic new theme.”
“What If…?” flips the script on the MCU, reimagining famous events from the films in unexpected ways. Marvel Studios’ first animated series focuses on different heroes from the MCU, featuring a voice cast that includes a host of stars who reprise their roles. Directed by Bryan Andrews with AC Bradley as head writer, “What If…?” launched exclusively on Disney+ on August 11, 2021.
