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Keeping Val Kilmer’s Madmartigan A Part of Willow

Val Kilmer’s Madmartigan was always going to be a part of the Willow series, explains Writer and Executive Producer Jon Kasdan in this interview.

Keeping Val Kilmer's Madmartigan A Part of Willow

Keeping Val Kilmer’s Madmartigan A Part of Willow

Val Kilmer might not make an actual appearance reprising his role as Madmartigan in the new series Willow, but that doesn’t mean that his character isn’t a part of the story. During the press conference for the sequel series, Writer and Executive Producer Jon Kasdan explains that it was always the plan to include him, even though Val could not personally come on set. 

“It was always going to be right at the core of the story we were telling. It really had to be because we were telling a story that had so many young characters, and they were all searching for their identity — the search for Madmartigan and the question of what had happened to him was right at the heart of the story we were telling.” Kasdan says.

He expands on that thought by talking about how Madmartigan’s fate would be woven into the quest that fans will watch play out in the series in a fundamental way — particularly for Ruby Cruz’s character, Kit, and for Dempsey Bryk’s character, Airk.

Keeping Val Kilmer's Madmartigan A Part of Willow

“That question follows the whole season. We always knew that we wanted to pay it off in one way or another, and we had a lot of ideas about ways to pay it off and ways to leave it open. And one thing that happened, because Val himself wasn’t able to come out to Wales and work with us, was that we added this texture of a friend of Madmartigan’s who could give us some clues about his whereabouts and deepens the mystery around what happened to him in a way that only extended the story we were already telling.”

Jon Kasdan admits that it was “very satisfying” to go this route with the story explaining “it provided an opportunity for us to add a whole new element that we didn’t expect to the show.”

So is Madmartigan still alive and out there somewhere? Both Kasdan and Willow himself, Warwick Davis, believe so. They feel he is out there to be found again, should that day arrive, and they would both love to see him pick up that sword again. Never say never because Val Kilmer recently reprised his role of Iceman in Top Gun: Maverick. If Willow gets a second season, don’t count him out!

The eight-episode series officially begins on Wednesday, November 30, 2022, with subsequent episodes coming out every following Wednesday.

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Willow series poster

About Willow 

The Nelwyn sorcerer returns, years after rescuing the infant empress Elora Danan, to lead a group of misfit heroes on a harrowing rescue mission through a world beyond imagination.

Willow features Warwick Davis returning in his titular role, with Kathleen Kennedy, Michelle Rejwan, Jonathan Kasdan, Tommy Harper, Wendy Mericle, Roopesh Parekh, Ron Howard, and Samie Kim Falvey serving as executive producers.

Willow streams on Disney+ starting November 30th.