How Willow pays tribute to Val Kilmer's Madmartigan

The cast of Disney+ show Willow assure us that Madmartigan’s presence will very much still be felt throughout the show in a number of different ways, even if Val Kilmer isn't on screen.

Willow is streaming on Disney+ from 30 November.

Video transcript

SIMON BLAND: Amar, I get elements of Madmartigan in your character. And I know the show pays tribute to Val in many different ways, what can fans expect from that element of the way it pays tribute to that character?

AMAR CHADHA-PATEL: It's difficult. I mean, everyone wants Madmartigan, right? And he is the epitome of that archetype of, like, the roguish guy with the sword. But I tried to do that in my own way because, cynically, that is a necessary archetype within this, sort of, genre.

But what we tried to do is expand on that role and make this character cool, and funny, and silly, and obviously his own thing. But he's flawed in a way that most of these roguish archetypes aren't. And he goes on journeys and he is not the apex of what it's like to be a hero and a cool guy.

He's at times more fragile than everybody else. And so we were playing with that archetype a lot. And I've just been saying that there had to be a tall guy with a sword, so I tried to do that.

ERIN KELLYMAN: You did that so well.

AMAR CHADHA-PATEL: Thank you. I mean that doesn't really say much because none of that is earned. I just was given--

ERIN KELLYMAN: Somebody passed you a sword.

AMAR CHADHA-PATEL: I was just given a sword and I'm already tall. My parents did that so.