Photo: Rob Kim/GettyVal Kilmerwas set to make a return as Madmartigan before the rise of theCOVID-19 pandemic.The actor, who wasdiagnosed with throat cancer in 2015, was forced to leave his role in the newDisney+ seriesas a precautionary measure in response to the COVID outbreak.“As COVID overtook the world,it became insurmountable,” series showrunner Jonathan Kasdan explained toEntertainment Weekly. “We were prepping in the spring of the year that it was most happening. And Val reluctantly didn’t feel he could come out.“Kilmer, 62, starred in the original 1988 film as a disgraced knight who helps sorcerer Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis) save the life of Elora Danan. His character was so beloved that Kasdan knew he had to get Kilmer involved when the series was announced.Tom Stratton"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,'” recalled Kasdan. “And he was like, ‘Not as much as I do.'“Despite his ongoing health struggles, Kilmer was looking forward to reprising his role, according to Kasdan.“He embraced me when I left. He picked me up, and he said, ‘See? I’m still super strong.’ And I was like, ‘Great,'” he said. “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.“While the show was eventually forced to proceedwithout Kilmer’s reprisalfor season one, Kasdan expressed that the actor is welcome to make a return in the second season.“We wanted to leave open the door to any possibility in the future and also honor the spirit of him,” he toldEW. “We’ve tried to do that and work with him in a way so that he is felt and heard, if not seen.“RELATED VIDEO: Val Kilmer On Surviving Throat Cancer: ‘I Want to Share My Story More Than Ever’Earlier this year, Kilmer was able toreprise his roleas Iceman inTop Gun: Maverickbutstruggled with his scene after a tracheostomy permanently damaged his speaking voice.“I can’t speak without plugging this hole [in his throat]. You have to make the choice to breathe or to eat,” hetold PEOPLEin 2021. “It’s an obstacle that is very present with whoever sees me.“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free weekly newsletterto get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday.Despite Kilmer’s challenges, becoming Iceman once again was “likebeing reunited with a long lost friend.““The characters never really go away,” he told PEOPLE in a newTop Gunspecial edition. “They live on in deep freeze. If you’ll pardon the pun.”
Photo: Rob Kim/Getty
Val Kilmerwas set to make a return as Madmartigan before the rise of theCOVID-19 pandemic.The actor, who wasdiagnosed with throat cancer in 2015, was forced to leave his role in the newDisney+ seriesas a precautionary measure in response to the COVID outbreak.“As COVID overtook the world,it became insurmountable,” series showrunner Jonathan Kasdan explained toEntertainment Weekly. “We were prepping in the spring of the year that it was most happening. And Val reluctantly didn’t feel he could come out.“Kilmer, 62, starred in the original 1988 film as a disgraced knight who helps sorcerer Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis) save the life of Elora Danan. His character was so beloved that Kasdan knew he had to get Kilmer involved when the series was announced.Tom Stratton"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,'” recalled Kasdan. “And he was like, ‘Not as much as I do.'“Despite his ongoing health struggles, Kilmer was looking forward to reprising his role, according to Kasdan.“He embraced me when I left. He picked me up, and he said, ‘See? I’m still super strong.’ And I was like, ‘Great,'” he said. “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.“While the show was eventually forced to proceedwithout Kilmer’s reprisalfor season one, Kasdan expressed that the actor is welcome to make a return in the second season.“We wanted to leave open the door to any possibility in the future and also honor the spirit of him,” he toldEW. “We’ve tried to do that and work with him in a way so that he is felt and heard, if not seen.“RELATED VIDEO: Val Kilmer On Surviving Throat Cancer: ‘I Want to Share My Story More Than Ever’Earlier this year, Kilmer was able toreprise his roleas Iceman inTop Gun: Maverickbutstruggled with his scene after a tracheostomy permanently damaged his speaking voice.“I can’t speak without plugging this hole [in his throat]. You have to make the choice to breathe or to eat,” hetold PEOPLEin 2021. “It’s an obstacle that is very present with whoever sees me.“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free weekly newsletterto get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday.Despite Kilmer’s challenges, becoming Iceman once again was “likebeing reunited with a long lost friend.““The characters never really go away,” he told PEOPLE in a newTop Gunspecial edition. “They live on in deep freeze. If you’ll pardon the pun.”
Val Kilmerwas set to make a return as Madmartigan before the rise of theCOVID-19 pandemic.
The actor, who wasdiagnosed with throat cancer in 2015, was forced to leave his role in the newDisney+ seriesas a precautionary measure in response to the COVID outbreak.
“As COVID overtook the world,it became insurmountable,” series showrunner Jonathan Kasdan explained toEntertainment Weekly. “We were prepping in the spring of the year that it was most happening. And Val reluctantly didn’t feel he could come out.”
Kilmer, 62, starred in the original 1988 film as a disgraced knight who helps sorcerer Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis) save the life of Elora Danan. His character was so beloved that Kasdan knew he had to get Kilmer involved when the series was announced.
Tom Stratton
“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,'” recalled Kasdan. “And he was like, ‘Not as much as I do.'”
Despite his ongoing health struggles, Kilmer was looking forward to reprising his role, according to Kasdan.
“He embraced me when I left. He picked me up, and he said, ‘See? I’m still super strong.’ And I was like, ‘Great,'” he said. “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.”
While the show was eventually forced to proceedwithout Kilmer’s reprisalfor season one, Kasdan expressed that the actor is welcome to make a return in the second season.
“We wanted to leave open the door to any possibility in the future and also honor the spirit of him,” he toldEW. “We’ve tried to do that and work with him in a way so that he is felt and heard, if not seen.”
RELATED VIDEO: Val Kilmer On Surviving Throat Cancer: ‘I Want to Share My Story More Than Ever’
Earlier this year, Kilmer was able toreprise his roleas Iceman inTop Gun: Maverickbutstruggled with his scene after a tracheostomy permanently damaged his speaking voice.
“I can’t speak without plugging this hole [in his throat]. You have to make the choice to breathe or to eat,” hetold PEOPLEin 2021. “It’s an obstacle that is very present with whoever sees me.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free weekly newsletterto get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday.
Despite Kilmer’s challenges, becoming Iceman once again was “likebeing reunited with a long lost friend.”
“The characters never really go away,” he told PEOPLE in a newTop Gunspecial edition. “They live on in deep freeze. If you’ll pardon the pun.”
source: people.com
