Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Composer Ludwig Göransson on Sequel’s Emotional Score

Academy Award-winning composer Ludwig Göransson is the craftsman behind the original scores for films like Christopher Nolan’s Tenet and the hit series The Mandalorian. A long-time collaborator with writer and director Ryan Coogler, the breathtaking score for 2018’s Black Panther is what earned Göransson his Oscar, and the opportunity to return again to the world of Wakanda in the sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. While the first film’s score evoked a sense of triumph and pride that set the tone for Marvel Studios’ introduction to Wakanda, the sequel finds us in a new state of mourning for their nation’s leader, and all-new battles. Sitting down with Collider’s Steve Weintraub, Göransson discussed his process of mixing a score beginning “on the script level,” how long into that process he’s tweaking the final mix, and the challenge of creating a score without the first film’s star Chadwick Boseman. He also shares what it’s like working with directors like Coogler and Nolan, and crea