The cast of new Disney Plus series Willow, a sequel to the 1988 fantasy film of the same name, have explained Val Kilmer’s absence from the show.
The series, which sees Warwick Davies and Joanne Whalley returning to their roles after 34 years, picks up long after the events of the movie.
Davies, now 52, played the titular main character in the film, which was based on story ideas developed by Star Wars creator George Lucas.
In the film, Davies’ Willow has to take care of infant child Elora while evading capture by Queen Bavmorda, who believes Elora will one day end her reign.
Along the way, Willow encounters Kilmer’s character, the knight Madmartigan, who becomes crucial to the story but doesn’t appear in the new Disney show.
Speaking to Radio Times, new Willow cast member Tony Revolori explained the reasons why Kilmer was unable to feature in the six-part series.
‘Val is one hundred per cent a part of this Willow family,’ he said. ‘It’s unfortunate that we couldn’t make the shooting schedule link up.’
In the film, Madmartigan and his partner Sorsha (played by Whalley) were left with the care of baby Elora after Bavmorda was defeated and Willow returned home.
While Sorsha will be returning in the Disney series, it appears Kilmer’s character won’t be coming back – at least on this occasion.
However, writer Jonathan Kasdan said that ‘[Kilmer] could not have been more enthusiastic and game’ and implied he may return as Madmartigan in the future.
Kasdan continued: ‘The mystery of Madmartigan’s whereabouts [will] remain throughout the season and perhaps lead to further destinations.’
It appears that Kilmer was unable to make it to set because of Covid restrictions that were still in place while the series was filming.
The Batman Forever actor was only briefly able to reprise his role as Iceman from 1986’s Top Gun in 2022’s Maverick, only starring opposite Tom Cruise for a few minutes.
For his scene in Maverick, Kilmer’s voice was re-created using AI technology – the actor privately battled throat cancer in 2015, leaving him needing two tracheotomies.
Willow will be available to stream on Disney Plus from Wednesday.
