It’s been a good week for fans of late ’80s/early ’90s Disney movies. Just a day after the news that Rick Moranis is returning to the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids franchise, it’s been announced that Emilio Estevez has closed a deal to reprise his role as Coach Gordon Bombay in Disney Plus’ The Mighty Ducks TV show, and we’ve also got our first look at him in the series thanks to the pics below.
Deadline broke the news this afternoon, along with various other details about the original series. The 10-episode show will feature Estevez, who’s also serving as an executive producer, alongside fellow lead Lauren Graham and young lead Brady Noon. The Mighty Ducks reboot comes from the mind of original screenwriter Steve Brill and Till Death creators Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa.
Taking place in present-day Minnesota, the show will check in on the Mighty Ducks ice hockey team. All these years later, they’ve evolved from the plucky underdogs they once were into an “ultra-competitive, powerhouse” youth team. After 12-year-old Evan (Noon) is booted off their roster, he and his mom Alex (Graham) embark on building their own team of ragtag misfits to “challenge the cutthroat, win-at-all-costs culture of competitive youth sports.” Along with Bombay’s help, “they discover the joys of playing just for the love of the game.”
The cast of The Mighty Ducks series also includes Swayam Bhatia, Taegen Burns, Julee Cerda, Bella Higginbotham, Luke Islam, Kiefer O’Reilly, Maxwell Simkins and De’Jon Watts.
Estevez had the following to say in a statement:
“Once a Duck, always a Duck!, and after 25 years, I am delighted to lace up my skates, put on Coach Bombay’s jacket and return to play the iconic character for this new chapter in The Mighty Ducks franchise. Likewise, I am thrilled to return to my old stomping grounds with my friends at Disney and Steve Brill, the original creator of the franchise, to join them on their exciting new platform, Disney+.”
Agnes Chu, SVP of Content on Disney Plus also commented on the announcement, saying:
“It was an easy decision to bring back the Quack Attack with a modern and fresh twist. For a generation, The Mighty Ducks stood for teamwork, friendship, and heart and we’re excited to see the Ducks fly together once again and bring the franchise to new audiences around the world. We are thrilled to have Emilio Estevez reprising his iconic role.”
The Mighty Ducks franchise kicked off in 1992 with the hit movie of the same name. Two more entries followed in 1994 and 1996 to form a trilogy, all of which starred Estevez. As such, it’s great to see him returning to the series and as soon as we learn more about what’s in store for us here, we’ll be sure to let you know.
