The Mighty Ducks are back, but not as you know them, in new Disney+ original series The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers.
Almost 30 years since the original movie, the Mighty Ducks franchise was revived in much the same way Cobra Kai brought back The Karate Kid.
Our team of scrappy underdogs in Game Changers is led by 12-year-old Evan (Brady Noon) who is axed from the now evil Ducks for not being good enough. As a result, his mother Alex (Lauren Graham) persuaded him to build his own team of misfits, recruiting embittered former Ducks coach Gordon Bombay (Emilio Estevez) as their secret weapon.
Disney+
Sign up to Disney+
The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers proved to be a hit by the time it wrapped its first season on Disney+ in May 2021.
But there's about to be some serious changes for the show – with a key cast member leaving the series.
Here's what you need to know.
Mighty Ducks: Game Changers season 2 release date: When will the series return?
The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers season two was confirmed for a renewal in August 2021.
This came after a lot of speculation about the future of the series.
According to TVLine, production is due to begin in early 2022. So the series is likely not to be released until at least Autumn 2022.
We promise to keep you as updated as you can!
Disney+
Who's in Mighty Ducks: Game Changers season 2 cast?
There is about to be a massive, gaping hole in the cast of season two – with Emilio Estevez confirmed to have left the show.
Despite initial reports the decision was down to the show's Covid vaccination mandate, Estevez himself has spoken out in a lengthy statement, explaining he was not "anti-vax" and instead his exit was caused by “nothing more than a good old-fashioned contract dispute”.
Estevez was the leading man of the original Mighty Ducks film franchise, and somewhat acted as the connective tissue between the '90s movies and the new series.
Explaining his exit via a letter to Deadline, he said: "I am not anti-vaxx. Full stop.
"I take this pandemic very seriously, and I am often teased about my continued following of the safety protocols and my abundance of caution."
In fact, he added that, after filming the pilot for Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, he contracted COVID-19, though it took time to diagnose as, in early March 2020, it was difficult to know whether he had it or not.
This later developed into "long haul syndrome" with exhaustive and long-lasting side effects, which continued well into filming the series in Vancouver. Ultimately, he felt uncomfortable in returning.
"To the fans of the franchise – I am as disappointed as you are," he concluded, saying it was an "honor and thrill" to return to the character of Gordon Bombay.
"To my Ducks cast and crew – have a wonderful season two on the show and please know that I will miss you all."
While Estevez is now out, it appears that the rest of the main cast remain committed to the series.
That includes Brady Noon as Evan and Lauren Graham as Evan's mother Alex. Other young stars that should return are Maxwell Simkins as Nick, Swayam Bhatia as Sofi and Bella Higginbothamas Lauren, among others.
The wonderful sixth episode of the first season saw the return of original Mighty Ducks cast members Elden Henson (Fulton), Marguerite Moreau (Connie) and Justin Wong (Kenny Wu).
It's not known if there will be more turning up to support their former team.
This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
One Duck who wasn't seen in the reunion episode is Joshua Jackson's Charlie, but that's only because the actor was "too busy... so it wasn't really possible with his schedule", creator Steven Brill told EW.
That doesn't rule out future reunions though, not if Estevez has his way: "If there is a season two and three, we are holding the door open for any and all of the Ducks from the original films to return."
Brill added to ComicBook.com: "We know the story. You just never know, is Josh Jackson going to be able to show up next year if we write it? I hope. I'd do anything to work with him again.
"But the character, yeah, we didn't get to explore it deeply in this season, but, I think, as and if we go on, for sure, I want to explore what happened with him and Gordon and with his mum, and does Gordon Bombay have a child? Do we even know that answer? And what happened to his law degree? And all these different questions that we want to get to."
Mighty Ducks: Game Changers season 1 finale: How does it set up season 2?
By some miracle (and very good hockey), the Don't Bothers made it all the way to States and were set for a grudge match against the Mighty Ducks in the final.
However, Sofi's knee was injured badly during the tournament and while she insists that she'll play, the team decide to not let her play – even though it means they have to forfeit the final as they have fewer than 10 players.
Disney
The Ducks are crowned champions and Coach T brags about it, only to be challenged by the Don't Bothers to a game at the Ice Palace. If the Ducks win, the Don't Bothers have to drop out of the league, but if the Don't Bothers win, they take the Ducks name.
To anybody who's seen a Mighty Ducks movie, it won't be a surprise to know the Don't Bothers come from behind to win, adopting the classic Ducks uniforms for the final period and using the Flying V to score the winning goal.
Coach T throws a strop and says the deal wasn't legally binding, but Stephanie is on the board of the Ducks and agrees to the change. The final shot is of Bombay resurfacing the ice of the Ice Palace which now bears the Mighty Ducks logo.
If there's to be a second season, it'll likely follow the Ducks on another underdog quest to win a tournament they're not supposed to win, much like the other two movies in the trilogy did.
Bhatia also hopes that a second season might explore the backstory of the now-Ducks players more. "The show has been focusing on all of us as a team. Even though we’ve all been spotlighted, it is important that we all work as one," she told HollywoodLife.
Disney
"But I think it's also important that we really see who all these people are. Who really is Sofi? What was she like growing up? What does she want to do in the future? I think we should really get into the specifics of all these characters and understand who they are besides hockey players now, so it would be really cool if we do that."
Is there a Mighty Ducks: Game Changers season 2 trailer?
This content is imported from YouTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
Sadly, no. Not yet, anyway.
But if you check back in here, we promise to update you as soon as we know more.
In the meantime, get to know the new cast members that are melting our hearts on the ice.
The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers is available to watch on Disney+.
Sign Up for Disney+
Disney+ Disney+
Disney Classics Complete Collection
Encanto
Disney amazon.co.uk
£6.99
Raya and the Last Dragon
Disney amazon.co.uk
£6.99
Frozen 2
Disney amazon.co.uk
£4.60
Mulan (2020)
Disney amazon.co.uk
£5.93
The Lion King double pack boxset
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
Disney Princess Complete Collection Box set [DVD] [2019]
Digital Spy's digital magazine is back! Read all issues now with a 1-month free trial, only on Apple News+.
Interested in Digital Spy's weekly newsletter? Sign up to get it sent straight to your inbox – and don't forget to join our Watch This Facebook Group for daily TV recommendations and discussions with other readers.