Two well-known shows, House of the Dragon and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, have recently faced criticism from viewers who object to the inclusion of people of colour in the fantastical settings where dragons and elves live. The cast of the new Disney+ series Willow, which is a sequel to the renowned 1988 film Willow, is more diverse than that of its predecessor. The cast also features Tony Revolori, Amar Chadha-Patel, Erin Kellyman (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), Ruby Cruz (who plays the role of Sorsa, the daughter of Joanne Whaley’s Sorsa), and Erin Kellyman.
The question to ask is, “Who is the best candidate for this position? At Disney’s D23 Expo in Anaheim, California, series creator Jonathan Kasdan informs us that all of the casting decisions were made with the question of “Who fits into this part best? (watch above).
“My objective is for you to find a really diverse and well-rounded collection of people when you do that, and that’s my hope. because the world is home to so many talented actors. And so many talented performers have passed up the opportunities that are now available. In order to work with all these varied abilities, you have a vast palette and a rich world.
Warwick Davis, a star of the Legacy series, is back as the titular sorcerer (his real-life daughter Annabelle Davis costars as well as Whaley).
Though remarks Kasdan made to Yahoo at the Star Wars Celebration in May raised some questions about whether or not Val Kilmer would return to his legendary role as Madmartigan in the series, the director mostly cleared up the matter with us at D23.
Kilmer, who lost his voice in recent years due to a battle with throat cancer, made a brief appearance this summer in the box office smash Top Gun: Maverick. Kasdan says of Kilmer: “It’s a hard thing to articulate because while he’s not onscreen, he does have a presence in our show, and it’s a meaningful one.”
“We collaborated with him on the production. Hopefully, people won’t find that uncertainty to be too upsetting.
Kilmer won’t be appearing on screen, but Christian Slater, who plays Madmartigan’s companion, will be joining the world of Willow, as was revealed at D23 this past weekend.