Where is Madmartigan in the Willow TV series? The fantasy movie Willow introduced us to a whole host of magical characters, but few were as entertaining as Val Kilmer’s proud rogue Madmartigan.
When we first met Madmartigan in the adventure movie, he was a mercenary who only reluctantly helped Willow (Warwick Davis) on his quest, but as the ’80s movie went on, it became clear he had a hero’s heart. In the end, he falls for Sorsha (Joanne Whalley), and the pair form a family with the baby Elora.
As Elora’s adopted father and considering the girl’s prophesied destiny, you’d expect Madmartigan to play a major role in the fantasy series. Unfortunately, though, Kilmer’s own health problems meant reprising the role of Madmartigan would be difficult, especially when they filmed the TV series during COVID-19. This meant his character had to be written out of the show, so where is Madmartigan in the Willow TV series?
Is Madmartigan in the Willow TV series?
No, Madmartigan is not in the Willow TV series. According to the opening narration, Madmartigan left home ten years before the TV series began in search of a magic breastplate and was never seen again.
Will Val Kilmer be in the Willow TV series?
We know that Kilmer won’t appear in the first season of Willow, but the writers have deliberately left the door open for Madmartigan’s return. The hunt for the magical breastplate was written to leave the door open for his eventual return should Kilmer’s health improve to the point he can work again.
“We really wanted Val to come be in the show,” Executive producer Jonathan Kasdan told EW. “And Val really wanted to come out and be in the show. I remember going to see Val right after this thing started to get some momentum, and I said, ‘Listen, we’re doing this. And the whole world wants Madmartigan back.’ And he was like, ‘Not as much as I do.'”
“We wanted to leave open the door to any possibility in the future and also honour the spirit of him,” Kasdan continued. “We’ve tried to do that and work with him in a way so that he is felt and heard, if not seen.”