A new year right around the corner means a whole new slate of Marvel projects to look forward to on both the big screen and at home. One of those projects is, of course, the multiverse-hopping animated series What If...?, which premiered in August 2021 and will return for Season 2 sometime in 2023.

The series stands out for many reasons, including animation style, unique twists on existing MCU stories, and the inclusion of a staggering number of actors reprising the roles they originated in live action. One perhaps underappreciated aspect of the series, however, is the score, composed by Laura Karpman — whose work also includes Ms. Marvel and the upcoming film The Marvels — along with her wife Nora Kroll-Rosenbaum.

In a 1-on-1 interview with Collider, Karpman spoke about returning to What If for Season 2, and what she enjoys so much about working on the series:

"Oh, I love it. The thing about What If...? that's amazing is that every episode is different, so you're kind of starting all over again. So every episode is its own little world or a big world. And so it really is... It's doing these series of little films, and it's a pleasure. It's a great gig."

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RELATED: Marvel's 'What If...?' Season 2: Trailer Info, Release Window, and Everything We Know So Far About the Second Season

When asked if scoring each episode meant getting to play in different genres, Karpman was quick to agree, citing several Season 1 examples of stories that were vastly different in tone:

So for season one, we had a zombie episode. We had a Captain Carter, Captain America episode. So you had all the '40s stuff and The Hydra stuff. And then we had a Dr. Strange episode, which was hugely emotional and was about his relationship with the love of his life. And it does stretch you. So one was a horror... one was zombie horror, the other was like a 1940s war movie. The other was a love story. And so every single time it's like, "Okay, what do we have this time? What literal genre of film are we exploring? And how are we going to do that and create it as a part of the sonic world that exists for the show?"

When it comes to working with an industry giant like Marvel, it's easy to worry that creatives will get swallowed up in the project and not let any of their own influences shine through. Karpman says this is not the case, and that the approach for each episode is collaborative, drawing from sources both new and pre-existing within the MCU.

Listen, I'm working on three projects for Marvel. So on this one in particular, the kind of rules are "what are we working with? So are we working with a Marvel film? Are we working with the Avengers? Are we working with Guardians of Galaxy? Are we working with Black Panther? Are we working with a combination of them?" And then the second thought is, "Okay, if it's a combination, what..." There was one where to T'Challa was StarLord, right? So what themes do we draw from? Do we draw from Black Panther? Do we draw from Guardians? Do we do something new? So that every single time you sit down with the creative executives on the show and the director Brian Andrews, you have to think about, "What is it we want to accomplish in this particular episode musically?" And then of course, we've got The Watcher and his whole world and his theme and everything that, that encompasses too.

So it's one of those things where big decisions have to be made in every episode. And in fact, it's the opposite of prescriptive. Although there are materials that we can draw from if we choose to. So there are preexisting materials. If I want to use some of Ludwig [Göransson]’s music or Alan Silvestri music, or anybody who's worked in the MCU, we think about how do we want to do it. And I only have one kind of monster rule for myself when it comes to using the great themes written by the composers, and that is that I don't actually ever look at the sheet music. I do it all by ear because I think if it filters through my brain somehow, then it'll feel like the show. Then it'll feel like I've had my influence rather than just really drawing exactly from what was written. And I think it's better for the show too, because then it feels somewhat new.

What If...? Season 2 will premiere in 2023. Check out our interview with Nate Moore, producer of Marvel's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever below: