Will Val Kilmer be in new Willow? Here we go! Madmartigan of Galladoorn was the It Guy of the fantasy genre. Nobody had ever been brave enough to play a swashbuckler who was both cocky, ribald, and all-around bro-ish but could also speak poetry, be soft and get the hottest girl in Tir Asleen, Sorsha (Joanne Whalley).
The self-proclaimed Greatest Swordsman Who Ever Lived, played by Val Kilmer in George Lucas's cult classic fairytale movie Willow from 1988, is missing from Disney+'s ambitious and mostly successful redo of the franchise. But is it still possible to see Madmartigan?
Source: Getty Images
In the first two episodes of Willow, we hear a lot about Madmartigan. As a reporter who has been given a magic mirror to look six episodes into the future, I can say that Madmartigan is still a big part of this funny show. Though maybe not in the way Willow fans hoped, given how well Kilmer and Whalley got along in the 1988 movie.
That's because, in a way, Willow on Disney+ couldn't exist without Madmartigan. The story is mostly about his grown pseudo-adopted daughter Elora Danan (Ellie Bamber) and his twins Sorsha, Kit (Ruby Cruz), and Airk (Dempsey Bryk). The show's explanation for Kit and Sorsha's and Kit and Airk's conversations about Madmartigan's absence is that he went off to...maybe die? Maybe take more risks? Maybe try to beat the forces of evil on his own (once and for all)? Who can say?
So, Madmartigan was reduced to an absentee parent whose children are doing big things beyond the Shattered Sea with the help of his (former?) best friend, Willow Ufgood, who is the most powerful sorcerer in the Mother World (Warwick Davis).
Jonathan Kasdan, who runs Willow, is the director, executive producer, and head writer. He told Entertainment Weekly that they really wanted Kilmer back in the role of the handsome rogue, but because of his health and the pandemic, they couldn't. Kilmer beat throat cancer, but after having a tracheostomy surgery in 2016 and getting a feeding tube soon after, he lost much of his voice. That doesn't mean Kilmer is done acting, though. He came back as Iceman in Top Gun: Maverick this summer with the help of artificial intelligence to recreate his voice.
But when the COVID-19 pandemic happened, Kilmer couldn't be in Wales with the rest of the Willow cast and crew because it was too dangerous. Kasdan says that he wasn't "written off" the show until the first day of filming.
Kasdan told Entertainment Weekly, "When COVID took over the world, it became impossible to stop." "We were getting ready in the spring of the most important year. Val didn't want to come out, but he didn't think he could. We had to devise a way to tell him the story we wanted to tell about how his life was going.
There may still be hope for Madmartigan to come back in a bigger way than just being mentioned by characters or shown in flashbacks in the first six episodes of Willow. Or, at least, Kasdan seems to hint at a Madmartigan appearance.
Kasdan said, "We wanted to leave the door open to any possibility in the future and honor his spirit." "We've tried to do that and work with him so that he can at least be felt and heard." This could mean that at some point in Episodes 7 or 8 of Willow, we'll hear Madmartigan's voice without his body. Kilmer's health and happiness are still the most important thing, and true Willow fans should care about that the most. We're also keeping our fingers crossed that we'll get to see Madmartigan in person at some point during the show's run.
If you found this article interesting, don't hesitate to visit our website AUBTU.BIZ to get access to a wide range of news about your favorite movies.
The self-proclaimed Greatest Swordsman Who Ever Lived, played by Val Kilmer in George Lucas's cult classic fairytale movie Willow from 1988, is missing from Disney+'s ambitious and mostly successful redo of the franchise. But is it still possible to see Madmartigan?
#1. Will Val Kilmer Be In New Willow?
Source: Getty ImagesIn the first two episodes of Willow, we hear a lot about Madmartigan. As a reporter who has been given a magic mirror to look six episodes into the future, I can say that Madmartigan is still a big part of this funny show. Though maybe not in the way Willow fans hoped, given how well Kilmer and Whalley got along in the 1988 movie.
That's because, in a way, Willow on Disney+ couldn't exist without Madmartigan. The story is mostly about his grown pseudo-adopted daughter Elora Danan (Ellie Bamber) and his twins Sorsha, Kit (Ruby Cruz), and Airk (Dempsey Bryk). The show's explanation for Kit and Sorsha's and Kit and Airk's conversations about Madmartigan's absence is that he went off to...maybe die? Maybe take more risks? Maybe try to beat the forces of evil on his own (once and for all)? Who can say?
Val Kilmer as Madmartigan
So, Madmartigan was reduced to an absentee parent whose children are doing big things beyond the Shattered Sea with the help of his (former?) best friend, Willow Ufgood, who is the most powerful sorcerer in the Mother World (Warwick Davis).
Jonathan Kasdan, who runs Willow, is the director, executive producer, and head writer. He told Entertainment Weekly that they really wanted Kilmer back in the role of the handsome rogue, but because of his health and the pandemic, they couldn't. Kilmer beat throat cancer, but after having a tracheostomy surgery in 2016 and getting a feeding tube soon after, he lost much of his voice. That doesn't mean Kilmer is done acting, though. He came back as Iceman in Top Gun: Maverick this summer with the help of artificial intelligence to recreate his voice.
COVID-19 Impacts
But when the COVID-19 pandemic happened, Kilmer couldn't be in Wales with the rest of the Willow cast and crew because it was too dangerous. Kasdan says that he wasn't "written off" the show until the first day of filming.
Kasdan told Entertainment Weekly, "When COVID took over the world, it became impossible to stop." "We were getting ready in the spring of the most important year. Val didn't want to come out, but he didn't think he could. We had to devise a way to tell him the story we wanted to tell about how his life was going.
There may still be hope for Madmartigan to come back in a bigger way than just being mentioned by characters or shown in flashbacks in the first six episodes of Willow. Or, at least, Kasdan seems to hint at a Madmartigan appearance.
Kasdan said, "We wanted to leave the door open to any possibility in the future and honor his spirit." "We've tried to do that and work with him so that he can at least be felt and heard." This could mean that at some point in Episodes 7 or 8 of Willow, we'll hear Madmartigan's voice without his body. Kilmer's health and happiness are still the most important thing, and true Willow fans should care about that the most. We're also keeping our fingers crossed that we'll get to see Madmartigan in person at some point during the show's run.
If you found this article interesting, don't hesitate to visit our website AUBTU.BIZ to get access to a wide range of news about your favorite movies.