Madmartigan was an integral part of the Willow movie and it’s hard to imagine the story continuing without him. Thankfully, it looks as though the hapless knight might still be out there and could return in this story.
In the movie, a baby named Elora Danan is born and she’s prophesied to end the reign of the evil sorceress Queen Bavmorda. Willow is tasked with delivering Elora safely to the crossroad of the Daikini land, and he comes across Madmartigan, a madman in a crow’s cage pleading to be let out. Willow lets him out, which starts an adventure to keep the baby out of the hands of unsavory parties looking to steal her.
Madmartigan meets Princess Sorsha who defied her mother Bavmorda to keep the baby from her, and it sets off a romance between them. The movie ends after a dramatically magical battle with the evil queen Bavmorda, Willow prevails by making the sorceress believe that he made the baby disappear, and in her agitated state, lightning strikes her and she turns to dust.
The series takes place 20 years after the events of the first movie and Elora Danan has been hidden away all these years, unaware of her birthright in order to keep her safe. Sorsha is now queen with two children of her own from the missing Madmartigan — Kit and Airk — but all is still not well. Willow has a vision that the spirit of Bavmorda would return and Tir Asleen kingdom would fall. In the present, Tir Asleen is attacked by dark forces and Airk is taken. Now, Kit and a fellowship must venture to the world beyond, then Nelwyn Village to find Willow and her brother Airk.
Before the series takes place, Queen Sorsha sends Madmartigan and his squire Boorman to find the Kymerian Cuirass, a magical breastplate that Sorsha believes will help protect them from Bavmorda. Boorman returned from this quest, but Madmartigan did not, and the squire was imprisoned in the dungeons for his crimes. When the fellowship is being decided, Sorsha allows Boorman to go with them to square a debt with an old friend, who is likely Madmartigan.
In Willow, season one, episode two, “The High Aldwyn,” Boorman has a conversation with Kit and tells her about her father. Boorman first clarifies that he’s a treasure hunter and not a thief, and brings up the legend of the Kymerian Cuirass. Kit brushes it off at first, but when he says that he searched for it with Madmartigan it piques her interest. Neither of Madmartigan’s children knows the true story of why he’s no longer in their lives. He reveals that Madmartigan actually found the breastplate, and Kit is stunned by this news.
Madmartigan is alive yet lost, possibly even beyond The Barrier, a magical force field that was made after Bavmorda’s defeat to protect Elora from the evil dangers outside of it. Madmartigan has the magical breastplate in his possession and it would take immense power to keep him from returning to his kingdom and family. There’s a dark entity known as the Wyrm that lives beyond the Barrier, and this story is eventually going to come to a head.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Willow showrunner Jason Kasdan revealed that he’s open to Val Kilmer returning if the show gets renewed for a second season. Kasdan told Kilmer previously that the world wants him back, and Kilmer responded that he wanted to return even more, so it’s good to know that all parties are interested in this reunion happening. The season one story involves the character heavily, and even though he’s not seen, his presence is felt in the show. The traits shared between Madmartigan and his son Airk are immediately recognizable and the wayward father’s return to his royal family would be legendary.
The first season was built with the intention of bringing Kilmer into the story, but because of COVID-19 concerns, it became an impossible situation to make happen. Kilmer had to err on the safe side and back out, and they had to reconfigure the story to make it work, but the simple fact that he was already written into the script bodes well for the future. Kilmer has been sharing his love on social media for the show, the cast, and Kasdan himself, which is another sign that Madmartigan will live again.