Willow Producer Reveals Val Kilmer’s Madmartigan Will Be a Part of the Revival
During the first day of Star Wars Celebration, Lucasfilm revealed that Warick Davis isn’t the only original cast member from Willow to return for the upcoming series. Joanne Whalley is reprising her role as Queen Sorsha, the daughter of the evil Queen Bavmorda, as well as the adoptive mother of Elora Danan, the infant from the movie. Val Kilmer’s Madmartigan was notably absent from the series trailer despite the fact that he and Sorsha were romantically linked by the end of the film. But that doesn’t mean Madmartigan is gone for good.
While speaking with Yahoo! Entertainment, Davis and Willow executive producer Jonathan Kasdan confirmed that Madmartigan will have a part in the series. Madmartigan and Sorsha are also the parents of the show’s new lead character, Princess Kit (Ruby Cruz), and her missing twin brother.
“Val’s a huge part of this, and the first conversation I had, when Warwick and I got the greenlight to do this, was with Val,” said Kasdan. “We wanted his character to be a part of the story. We wanted him to be in the show.”
Kilmer has been battling throat cancer for years, which has greatly impacted his ability to speak. And for health reasons, Kilmer was unable to travel to the show’s set in Wales.
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“Because we were shooting during [the COVID-19 lockdowns], he wasn’t able to come to Wales and shoot with us,” noted Kasdan. “But he is in the show in a big way. And we’re pretty excited about it. Madmartigan lives on.”
Davis added that Kilmer’s “spirit is very much with the series” and called his former co-star “a terrific guy.” He also gave Kilmer credit for keeping his spirits up during the filming of the original Willow.
“I still attribute me getting through the film to Val,” recalled Davis. “He kept my spirits up when conditions were really treacherous and difficult. I was cold, wet, tired. He kept me laughing, kept the whole thing fun.”
Willow will premiere on Disney+ on November 30.
Are you eager to see how Madmartigan plays into the Willow revival series? Let us know in the comment section below!
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