The Mighty Ducks television show just took a significant step forward. Disney+ has a TV reboot of the beloved film franchise coming, and it has cast one of its leading players. Hot on the heels of the Turner & Hooch TV show finding its lead in Josh Peck, The Mighty Ducks has found its coach in a female star!
Disney+ has confirmed that Gilmore Girls’ Lauren Graham has joined the cast of The Mighty Ducks in the lead role of Alex. Graham’s Alex is a mom to her 12-year-old son, Evan (Brady Noon). When Evan is cut from the Ducks, his mom springs into action. Yes, you read correctly – the Ducks!
Yes, the Might Ducks cut Evan! Why? The thing is, when viewers catch up with the Mighty Ducks in present-day Minnesota, things have really changed for the team. They are no longer the “scrappy underdogs” that viewers recall. Their success has caused them to turn into a “powerhouse” team. Thus, leaving their underdog roots behind.
Hence, it is the current Mighty Ducks having cut Evan that sets the stage for the story to come. In response to her son getting cut, Lauren Graham’s Alex decides to start a new team! Alex and Evan’s side will welcome “misfits” and act as an alternative to the “win-at-all-costs culture of competitive youth sports.” I say, go, mom!
Not many details are currently availably about Alex's personality traits. However, her willingness to help her son start a hockey team because he was cut speaks to her being a pretty stellar parent. Based on her choices, Alex seems to be a go-getter, who does not let things stand in her way.
Disney+’s The Mighty Ducks will be comprised of 10 episodes, and production is set to begin this February in Vancouver. A precise premiere date has not been set, but it is said to bow “later this year.” The original 1992 movie is not currently streaming on Disney+ to help with the wait. It is slated to join the streamer’s library on July 1, 2020.
As for the TV show, along with starring in it, Lauren Graham will also act as a co-executive producer on The Mighty Ducks, along with James Griffiths, Michael Spiller, George Heller, Brad Petrigala, and Jordan Kerner. Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa will also co-create and serve as the series’ showrunners.
The franchise’s original creator, Steve Brill, will be back as the co-creator and executive producer of The Mighty Ducks reboot. Speaking of the original, fans of the movies will have to keep waiting to see if Emilio Estevez somehow reprises his role as Gordon Bombay.
Gordon Bombay is not mentioned in the press release, so his return is certainly not confirmed. Fans would almost assuredly welcome Emilio Estevez’s return in the role. He was an integral part of all three movies. For now, it is confirmed that Lauren Graham’s Alex will be around. Here is hoping Bombay joins her.
On another note, the Disney+ show is entitled The Mighty Ducks, and the series' description clearly indicates that the Ducks are still around. So, will the show not take its title from Alex’s team? What will Alex and her son’s team be called? That is not where the questions end.
The most ominous question is if Alex’s hockey team will face off against the Ducks and defeat them. I am just speculating here, but perhaps, the first season will see Alex and the team ramping up to beat the Ducks! Talk about a potential twist! The heroic team has turned into the "villainous" one.
As for Lauren Graham’s casting, she is no stranger to playing moms. Look no further than Gilmore Girls and Parenthood! Graham is a terrific actress, and I think she will excel at playing the hockey coach.
Find out how Lauren Graham does when The Mighty Ducks premieres at some point in 2020 on Disney+. There is a lot of television to keep you in winning spirits throughout this winter and spring.
