Marvel Zombies is among Marvel Studios' most creative projects in a long time. The series is set in an alternate dimension within the Marvel Cinematic Universe and it envisions a world in which the planet is overrun by an army of the undead - the same world we first got introduced to in Zombies' parent series What If...?.
But the Disney Plus show's creativity isn’t just because of the undead heroes and villains fighting, killing, and eating characters we know and love. The music behind the series helps paint a picture that wouldn’t be possible without it, adding atmosphere, thrills and a sense of urgency to the project.
Recently, I had the honor of interviewing five-time Emmy Award-winning, Oscar and Grammy-nominated composer Laura Karpman (Captain America: Brave New World), and Grammy-winning composer Nora Kroll-Rosenbaum (Regarding Susan Sontag) about their work on the MCU series. And the pair delved into their musical process, creating scenes, and so much more.
Beginnings
Like most professionals, there’s always a moment that speaks to you. In our interview, I asked Laura Karpman and Nora Kroll-Rosenbaum about what the moments that led to was that led to becoming a composer were. Laura said she started when she was young and that there “was never really a question in my mind" about what she was going to be in life.
"My mom kind of decided she wanted me to be a composer when she was pregnant with me. So, I didn’t rebel and went ahead with it... I think there were so many moments where I’m appreciative of being able to make a living doing what I do best.”
It was different for Nora, who reveals that it happened in middle school because she loved improvising, but then realized, “It was much easier when you write things down.” She laughs, saying she always wanted to be a composer and that by the time she was in high school, she "was already a composer.”
"There is nothing that’s more fun. Even when it’s the most difficult, it’s the most fun."Nora Kroll-Rosenbaum
The music behind Marvel Zombies
As a lot of people still aren't aware of the work that goes into composing, so I wanted to open by asking the pair to explain a little bit about what what it's like bringing a project like this one to life, and what it is that they do when making it happen.
“Not a whole lot!” Laura jokes. Nora adds: “We write music, create sounds that amplify storytelling, which is super fun.”
“We sit with the filmmakers," reveals Laura. "In the case of [Marvel] Zombies, it’s Bryan Andrews and Brad Winderbaum. We look at the episodes, we figure out the main kind of conceptual ideas are behind each episode.”
She then breaks down the art of it in a simple way, taking us through the process. “Choosing the right tracks, putting them in the right order, and making them reflective of the show, but also listenable in their own right, is the art of putting together a soundtrack.”
Nora adds: “It would be really fun to have a four-hour-long zombie soundtrack, but we definitely couldn’t get away with that.”
"It’s not out of bounds of the work that we’ve done in What if…? in the sense that we’re taking the MCU and turning it upside down. This kind of music is really fun to write. You get to be super gnarly, and it’s something we’re both comfortable with."Laura Karpman
Because Marvel Zombies is unlike anything they’ve done before, I needed to know how they came up with music for moments that were so brutal. Nora responds with a thorough explanation, diving into the nuances in the process when it came to balancing those moments with the more poignant ones.
"There's some really crazy sounds that we made with both electronics and the orchestra that were used in very percussive ways, but they would interrupt these beautiful, beautiful scenes, and had a tremendous amount of heart. So I think it’s that combination of telling a story that’s kind of familiar in terms of characters you know and love, and then instantly flipping them on their head, and then treating the orchestra like a big percussion instrument."
Without spoiling the ending, there’s a moment when a major character's importance is revealed, and it leads to a sentimental moment for Kamala Khan, and the transition within the music was brilliant. Karpman opens up about how they approached that particular scene, saying: “There’s not just a sudden reveal. It’s like the way zombies occur to any of us. ‘Oh my god! I’m surrounded by zombies!’ It’s not just an instantaneous thing. It creeps up on you and makes it crazier." Nora jokes that it's how she reacts whenever zombies show up at her house.
A bit of fun
I try to end rounds of questions with something fun. In this case, the final inquiry was the question you have to ask whenever you're talking about zombie apocalypses: “You’re in the Marvel Zombie Apocalypse, what superhero are you picking as your backup?”
“Angela Lansbury!” Laura opened with (who I think is an amazing choice) before ultimately deciding on Kamala Khan. She then threw a curveball, adding: “I love all my villains.”
Nora went with Ant-Man because it would be more fun to play with in the Marvel Zombie world, and that she leans more towards the comedic characters in the comic book world. Because if they’re going to have your back, they’ll have a sense of humor about it.
All of Marvel Zombies is now streaming on Disney Plus, and the soundtrack to the project is available on iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, and more. Stay tuned to Bam Smack Pow’s social media pages on Bluesky, Instagram, and Twitter for more Marvel comic book, TV, and movie news, opinions, and rumors as they come out.