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While Willow is a beloved fantasy classic for many viewers of a certain generation, it didn’t exactly light the world on fire in the same way that Lucasfilm’s Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises did. Although George Lucas’ mystical Willow universe was set up for future installments, the prospect of a continuation seemed like a pipe dream that fans would have to fantasize about for years. However, Disney+’s Willow series faced the challenge of honoring a universe with a dedicated following, while also inviting audiences who weren’t familiar with the first movie. Like its predecessor, the Willow follow up may have started a bit slow, but it’s an adventure that deserved to continue. Sadly, Willow fans weren’t just denied a second season of the spinoff show; they won’t even have the chance to revisit the latest chapter as part of Disney+’s content purge.
The Willow series picked up 17 years after Willow (Warwick Davis), Sorsha (Joanne Whalley), and Madmartigan (Val Kilmer) worked together to defeat the wicked Queen Bavmorda (Jean Marsh) and restore peace to the kingdom. While Willow returns home to his family to live a simple life, he receives an urgent mission from Sorsha (now ruling as Queen in her mother’s place). Willow agrees to help Sorsha’s daughter Princess Kit Tanthalos (Ruby Cruz) rescue her brother, Prince Airk (Dempsey Bryk), who has been kidnapped by the evil Gales. Accompanying them is a new batch of heroes, including the future Empress of Tir Asleen Elora Danan (Ellie Bamber), the prospective knight Jade (Erin Kellyman), the awkward Prince Graydon (Tony Revolori), and the rogue thief Thraxus Boorman (Amar Chadha-Patel).
Fantasy storytelling has heightened in popularity in the wake of Game of Thrones’ success, and between House of the Dragon, Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Wheel of Time, The Witcher, and His Dark Materials, there’s no shortage of dark and gloomy universes. However, Willow’s relatively mixed tone fulfills the same role that the original did; it’s not a satire, but it’s certainly a slightly less intense universe that is more inviting to casual viewers. Within its first season, Willow successfully set up its characters, atmosphere, and narrative. It’s a shame that the dedicated showrunners did not get to see their vision continue.
‘Willow’ Is a Modern Take on a Tried-and-True Fantasy Formula
Willow took on the challenge that so many “legacy sequels” faced of simultaneously bringing in the new heroes and honoring what came before. Some legacy sequels, such as The Force Awakens, Creed, and Cobra Kai, have done this quite successfully; others, such as Jurassic World and Independence Day: Resurgence, have struggled to find the right balance. Willow had its work cut out for it, but it never faltered in its tone. Like its predecessor, the show opened with a lot of mythological exposition, but balanced out the world-building with a cast of fun and likable characters.
None of the archetypes in Willow are particularly new; as with Star Wars, they’re based on Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey. Since Willow tried to appeal to a slightly younger demographic, the characters are mostly young adults. While the Willow series certainly relies a lot on their existential anxieties, it doesn’t descend into melodrama like so many YA fantasy shows have. In fact, each of the central romances is given the time to grow and reach a satisfying conclusion.
It’s also refreshing that Willow features a representative cast and takes a distinctly modern approach. Compared to the dense wordplay of House of the Dragon or The Rings of Power, the banter is fairly easy to pick up on. It is also refreshing to see an inverted arranged marriage storyline, in which neither Kit nor Graydon hold any animosity towards each other. Kit’s relationship with Jade is pre-established, and thus the journey simply tests their level of commitment to each other. Graydon’s fascination with Elora is delicately woven throughout; both characters are quiet, sensitive people who are grappling with the burden they’ve been saddled with. It makes for a perfect pairing.
The Series Honors the ‘Willow’ Universe
The Willow series had to rely on bringing back Davis in a major role, as he served as the bridge between generations. While Davis is a beloved figure within the fan community, he hadn’t led a show or movie in many years, and there was speculation on whether he could live up to expectations. Those anxieties are pretty much erased early on, as Davis gave his most nuanced and subtle performance to date. Rather than relying on the “grizzled mentor” cliché that had become common in legacy sequels, Davis emerges with the same wit and whimsy he’d always had. However, that doesn’t mean that Willow himself isn’t doing some soul-searching; like Mark Hamill’s new take on Luke Skywalker in The Last Jedi, Willow has to contend with a reputation he doesn’t think he has earned.
The Willow series also faced the challenge of giving a satisfying conclusion to the story arc of Madmartigan, whose Han Solo-esque rouge appeal had given the original film its charm. The tributes to Kilmer are tasteful and rewarding, and included in the new batch of heroes is the maverick treasure hunter Thraxus Boorman, who expertly fills the warrior role without replacing Kilmer’s iconic Madmartigan. Additionally, a late season appearance by Christian Slater as one of Madmartigan’s allies helps bridge the connection with Kit as she understands her father’s legacy.
It also helps that Willow was given the production budget of a Disney+ show, as it looked practically gorgeous on an aesthetic level. While we return to some familiar locations, there’s enough new sides of the Willow universe that are shown for the first time. The entire series balances new and old very well; there is more detailed world building, as well as pop song covers that suggest a different tonal approach. The prospect of the heroes’ next adventure in Immemorial City was intriguing, setting up a perfect template for what could have been an interesting second season.
‘Willow’ Has Become a Victim of Disney+’s Content Purge
Willow wasn’t a complete home run; the introduction of some characters was rushed, and the structure of the series led to some expositional chunks and seemingly “filler” episodes. However, the challenge of creating a sequel to a cult favorite wasn’t an easy one, and Willow set up a fun and beautiful world that didn’t become so dense that the burden of entry was high for casual viewers.
Willow was canceled before it got the chance to hone its identity. Many fantasy shows have to spend a lot of time establishing the rules of the universe, and a majority of Willow did feel like an expositional dump. However, the storyline on Immemorial City that a second season likely would have explored seemed to be more focused in its approach. With the rules of the universe more or less established, a second season of Willow could have been more focused on action. There are many great shows that made significant improvements in their second seasons; it would have been a shame if Buffy the Vampire Slayer was only judged on the merits of its lackluster first season.
What’s even more concerning is that Willow wasn’t just canceled too soon; fans won’t even be able to rewatch the spinoff series at all. In a move that the writers described as “absolutely cruel,” Willow joined the list of Disney+ originals that were purged from the streaming service library without notice. Willow was initially marketed as a major new series for the service, and even earned a panel at Star Wars Celebration. Removing it in the midst of a WGA strike for the sake of a tax write off is a shocking and unethical way to treat those who poured a significant amount of time into a passion project.
Cancelling a show is one thing; if a series isn’t meeting the viewership numbers that a service expects, it has no obligation to renew it. However, making it completely unavailable (as the series wasn’t simultaneously broadcast on other networks) is an unethical way to treat the cast and crew. Unfortunately, Willow isn’t the only Disney+ title that is now absent from the service; The Mysterious Benedict Society, Dollface, and The World According To Jeff Goldblum were also removed.
Disney+ had an early advantage in the “streaming wars” based on its sheer number of popular brands. Star Wars and the Marvel Universe both had pre-established fan bases, but both properties began to suffer from overexposure. Kevin Feige made the announcement that Marvel shows would be “fewer and farther apart” in the upcoming phases because fans were simply overwhelmed keeping up with all the new content. While fans were interested in spinoffs, keeping up with an increasing number of shows was becoming a burden. Considering that Disney+ seemed to be overindulging in its marquee property, giving Willow fans a satisfying conclusion to a storyline that was clearly set up for future installments doesn’t seem like too much of a burden.
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