Pinar Toprak wasn’t exactly an unknown name in Hollywood when she landed the gig on Captain Marvel, but it was still a big deal when she became Marvel’s first female composer. The route she took to land the job was a little extreme, however.
This year at San Diego Comic-Con, Pinar Toprak was on hand to talk about how she worked to earn the job on Captain Marvel and she told the crowd at the “Musical Anatomy of a Superhero” panel that she personally hired a 70-person orchestra to bring her vision to life well before she really even knew whether or not she had a chance at the job. Toprak revealed:
I went and hired a 70-piece orchestra. I did [pay for it]. I figured, you know, if I didn’t get it, it would get me closer to the next time. So, it worked out… I wanted the people at Marvel to see that I could actually handle the orchestra this whole thing that you guys saw.
Ultimately, even though this may seem like a wild (and expensive) step to take, Pinar Toprak saw it as a way forward for her career, even if the Captain Marvel gig hadn’t panned out.
Her audition didn’t end with the composition recorded by 70 musicians, however. According to Pinar Toprak, she also made a tape to argue her case.
I even did another video where I talked to the camera. I looked at the actors’ audition tapes and talked about Captain Marvel, about the character.
The movie hadn’t started filming yet, but she used the Captain Marvel audition tapes to supplement the point. Ultimately, she won the job, but even after the hard work paid off, it took a while for Marvel’s decision to sink in. Per Pinar Toprak, when she got the call she “pretty much collapsed.”
I pretty much collapsed. When I got the call, I just like lost feelings in my knees, and then I actually thought I dreamt the whole thing for a few days. Like, ‘What if I didn’t actually get the call?’
Toprak also told the audience she’s been a big fan of superheroes for a long time, particularly on screen. She really has an affinity for Superman (1978) and her early exposure to superheroes has seemingly made her a good fit for superhero composition.
She’s not simply the Captain Marvel composer in the superhero world, either. Pinar Toprak has also worked on the small screen for the David S. Goyer Syfy series Krypton. Her next project will also be on the small screen for DC Universe and will be based around the comics character Stargirl.
Ultimately, Captain Marvel would be a dream gig for most up-and-comers in Hollywood, but doubtless being a female composer on a movie that stressed the importance of working with the ladies was an added bonus. Ultimately Pinar Toprak wasn’t just Marvel’s first female composer, but was actually the first female composer on the big screen in the superhero genre, too. That’s an accolade that will always be notable.
Captain Marvel is available on Blu-ray and DVD now. In addition, take a look at what Marvel has coming up with our full guide.
