Fantasy adventure series Willow has released its first two episodes on Disney+ and viewers have been reintroduced to the Nelwyn sorcerer, played by Warwick Davis. The series premiere has been received favorably by viewers, who enjoyed returning to the magical world created by Star Wars' George Lucas in 1988.
Davis and fellow original cast member Joanne Whalley (who plays Queen Sorsha) return to their roles but apparently, they weren't the only ones set to make an appearance in the series. Val Kilmer, who played Madmartigan in the film, was originally "actively involved" in the project.
But why didn't Val appear in the end? Here's everything you need to know. Read here to see how the series utilised some of Wales' most beautiful landscapes.
Read more: Full list of Disney+ Willow locations that show off just how beautiful Wales is
Showrunner Jonathan Kasdan said: "We really wanted Val to be in the show. 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.'"
He added to Entertainment Weekly: "We started building out the first season with the intent of having him appear. [It wasn't clear we couldn't get him] until pretty late in the process, frankly.
“As Covid overtook the world, it became insurmountable…We were prepping in the spring of the year that it was most happening. And Val reluctantly didn’t feel he could come out.”
Val was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2015 and despite now being clear of the illness, his voice has been reduced to a rasp and he plugs an electric voice box in order to speak. Despite this, he has continued to act and earlier this year, returned to his role as Admiral Tom 'Iceman' Kazansky in Top Gun: Maverick.
Despite not appearing in Willow's first season, Kasdan said: "We wanted to leave open the door to any possibility in the future and also honor the spirit of him. We've tried to do that and work with him in a way so that he is felt and heard, if not seen." The first two episodes of Willow are now streaming on Disney+.
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