Emilio Estevez says he had big plans for a Mighty Ducks comeback — but Disney wasn’t interested.
Estevez shared details about his ideas for a potential fourth Mighty Ducks movie during an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. He had written a spec script with the intention of steering the storyline back on track after the mixed reviews of the Game Changers series on Disney+.
“I also wrote ‘Mighty Ducks 4,’” Estevez said. “I wanted to make up for all of the disasters that happened on the ‘Game Changers’ series.”
His pitch? A fresh, female-forward take with some familiar faces.
The proposed film would bring back Coach Gordon Bombay, played by Estevez, who would be lured back into coaching by the characters portrayed by Joshua Jackson and Kenan Thompson. The plot would revolve around forming a new team for the professional women’s hockey league, introducing an all-girl team in an expansion of the franchise. In this script, Bombay starts off coaching roller derby and insists on taking his current team with him, emphasizing the need to give them a chance to shine. The idea was described as modern, appealing, and reflective of the current times, but Disney ultimately decided not to pursue it.
Estevez originally portrayed Coach Bombay in the 1992 film and reprised his role in two sequels. He returned to the franchise in The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, where he guided a new group of youngsters as they navigated challenges on the ice. However, off-screen disagreements related to COVID-19 vaccination requirements prompted Estevez’s exit before the second season, which ultimately marked the end of the series.
A source close to production said Estevez didn’t confirm he’d comply with ABC Signature’s vaccine mandate, part of the industry’s return-to-work agreement. Because of that, the studio chose not to bring him back.
Despite the drama, Game Changers got solid reviews. “The writing is clever, and sometimes even elicits a laugh, which is good because we already know where the series is going,” said Decider’s Joel Keller. “So, yes, if a show is going to be predictable, it might as well be entertaining along the way.”
Watch Estevez’s full interview on Happy Sad Confused in the video above.
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