Movies - TV
Val Kilmer's Performance In The Original Willow Was A Guiding Light For The Series
By VALERIE ETTENHOFER
Less of a reboot and more of a belated sequel, Disney’s new series “Willow” picks up where the 1988 movie of the same name left off. While some original cast members have returned for the new season, Val Kilmer’s Madmartigan is notably absent, but showrunner Jonathan Kasdan found creative ways to infuse the series with Madmartigan’s energy.
Kilmer’s performance as Madmartigan was one of the main draws of the original film. As Kasdan explained, "One of the charms of 'Willow' is that it has at its center, this performance by Val Kilmer that's very contemporary and very unusual and surprising and exciting to watch.” However, due to health issues, Kilmer wasn’t able to make it to the new “Willow” set.
Despite Madmartigan’s absence in the series, the character still influenced the new show. As Kasdan said, they let Madmartigan remain in the show in spirit, by “have[ing] contemporary voices, voices that you weren't used to hearing in fantasy, be your guides through it [...]." Plus, Kasdan dropped the hint that Madmartigan “comes back by the end of the season”.