SDCC 2025: Composer Roundtable at Musical Anatomy of A Superhero
Mick Giacchino (Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, The Penguin), Brandon Roberts (Star Wars: Andor, ), and Simon Franglen (Avatar: Fire & Ash, Titanic) discuss their amazing scores in an intimate roundtable setting recorded at San Diego Comic-Con 2025.
Mick Giacchino
Mick Giacchino (The Penguin, Skeleton Crew, The Muppets Mayhem) pulled back the curtain on his creative process during San Diego Comic-Con 2025, answering some of our burning fan questions. Why did he choose a bass flute to represent the mysterious Jod Na-na-wood in Star Wars: Skeleton Crew? What exciting new project does he have in the works for Walt Disney Parks? And how does he manage the musical juggling act of scoring both the gritty world of The Penguin and the chaotic joy of The Muppets Mayhem?
This video features highlights from Musical Anatomy of a Superhero, the fan-favorite panel moderated this year by none other than his father, Oscar-winning composer Michael Giacchino, as well as exclusive insights from a behind-closed-doors composer roundtable we attended after the event. Whether you’re a film score nerd or just curious about the magic behind the music, you won’t want to miss this.
About Mick Giacchino:
Mick Giacchino is a composer for film and television in both live-action and animated mediums. His recent work includes the HBO/DC original series The Penguin, Skeleton Crew from Lucasfilm, Disney’s The Muppets Mayhem and AMC+’s That Dirty Black Bag. Since his debut with Jim Henson’s Turkey Hollow in 2015, Mick has contributed to projects such as Disney’s Zootopia+, Netflix’s animated feature Extinct, The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell, and additional music for Matt Reeves’ The Batman. In 2021, he released his first instrumental EP, “Perseverance.”
Brandon Roberts
Brandon Roberts, Emmy-nominated composer for Andor Season 2, sat down with us at San Diego Comic-Con 2025 to answer some of our biggest questions—and delivered some truly thoughtful insights. With Star Wars‘ towering musical legacy behind him, how does he carve out his own voice within the galaxy far, far away? What was it like taking the reins from Season 1 composer Nicholas Britell, whose score helped define the tone of the critically acclaimed series? And how does he balance character, world-building, and rebellion in every note?
In this exclusive interview, Roberts dives deep into the creative process behind Season 2’s score, his approach to honoring Star Wars musical tradition while pushing new boundaries, and much more. Whether you’re a die-hard Andor fan or just curious about how music shapes the emotional core of modern storytelling, this conversation is a must-watch.
About Brandon Roberts:
Emmy Award-winning composer Brandon Roberts’ music can be heard all over the scoring world today. From the Academy Award-winning documentary Free Solo, co-composed with Marco Beltrami, to the pulsing action of World War Z and Logan, to the surreal reimagining of Jordan Peele’s Twilight Zone and the horror of Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving.
Upon graduating from the USC Scoring for Motion Pictures & Television program, Brandon Roberts began working under Oscar®-nominated and Emmy®-winning composer Marco Beltrami. They later went on to co-compose a wide range of films and television. Projects include such large-scale feature films as A Quiet Place (I and II), Logan, Chaos Walking, and World War Z. Roberts’ other recent scores include Paramount Pictures’ Pet Sematary: Bloodlines, and Eli Craig’s summer slasher Clown in a Cornfield. Roberts was most recently Emmy-nominated for his original score for Andor Season 2.
Simon Franglen
Simon Franglen, the maestro behind Avatar: The Way of Water, gave us an exclusive sneak peek at his upcoming score for Avatar: Fire & Ash—including a first listen to the hauntingly beautiful “Windtreader’s Theme.” During an intimate composer roundtable at San Diego Comic-Con 2025, Franglen opened up about his evolving musical journey through the world of Pandora and beyond.
In this conversation, he also dives into the challenges and joys of writing music for both epic superhero films and the immersive environments of Disney Parks. With another Avatar experience on the horizon at Disney California Adventure, the big question is: Will Franglen return to compose for the new Pandora land? He hints at what’s to come.
About Simon Franglen:
Simon Franglen is a multi-award-winning composer and producer of film, classical, and contemporary music. Well-known for his long-time collaboration with his friend, James Horner, he was the lead arranger and producer on films including The Amazing Spider-Man, Titanic, and Avatar. For his critically acclaimed score for Avatar: The Way of Water, he was awarded the World Soundtrack Awards’ ‘Discovery of the Year,’ the Hollywood Music in Media Award, the ASCAP Award winner for the top score, and was nominated for the Ivor Novello award.
This year, Franglen follows up his 3-hour epic score from Avatar: The Way of Water with Avatar: Fire and Ash, which releases in December 2025. Franglen’s credits also include three of the four top-grossing films of all time and six of the top-selling albums. His accolades include a Golden Globe nomination for his work on ‘Avatar’ and a Grammy as a producer for ‘My Heart Will Go On’ for ‘Record of the Year’. He has collaborated with singers and musicians from across the world, including the South Pacific Islands, Mongolia, Maori, Tunisian Malouf, Rajasthan, and Eritrea. His music credits range from The Weeknd, Celine Dion, and Toni Braxton to producing UK grime acts. Franglen is also known for his cutting-edge work in immersive audio, and is a consultant to several multi-national companies on the intersection of music and immersive audio. He has major art and commercial installations running around the world.
About SDCC 2025
San Diego Comic-Con International (SDCC) is the premier event for all things comics and related popular art, including movies, television, gaming, interactive multimedia, and so much more! Find more info here, and follow on socials to see our entire convention experience!
