The following contains spoilers for Willow Season 1, Episode 4, "Chapter IV: The Whispers of Nockmaar," now streaming on Disney+.
At the midway point of the first season of Willow on Disney+, the characters go back to where it all started. Or, at least, where the 1988 film ended: Castle Nockmaar, the seat of the evil tyrant Queen Bavmorda. The great Jean Marsh brought Bavmorda to life in the movie, but the actor retired from acting after a stroke. However, Willow found a clever and tasteful way to take full advantage of modern visual effects capabilities to recreate old performances. It's an area of modern franchise filmmaking with loose ethics and middling results. Still, no one objects to a flashback using footage from the film, such as when Willow thought of his wife Kiaya, played by Julie Peters who did not return for the sequel series.
Thanks to Nockmaar's freaky magical past, Willow's VFX teams can incorporate scenes from the Ron Howard film into the episode as free-floating, full-body, vaporous apparitions. Jean Marsh gets her second curtain call in the sequel series, along with the still-excellent General Kael, brought to life by the appropriately named Mark Slaughter. Knowing that series creator Jon Kasdan reached out to Val Kilmer, this method is an excellent way to bring Madmartigan back for his bows and flowers.
Willow's Storytellers Found a Perfect Way to Bring Back Nockmaar
The return to Nockmaar isn't just the equivalent of an expensive VFX clip show. The first thing the storytellers do, through Debs Paterson's excellent direction, is reveal the origin of Queen Bavmorda. Using a magical tapestry and voice-overs, viewers learn how Bavmorda became the evil queen who original Willow fans remember and fear. She also, conveniently, serves the very evil entity threatening the heroes at the current moment. Still, this was the perfect way to bring back an actor the series couldn't otherwise: respectfully and in a way that serves the story, not just nostalgia.
In the case of Kit, her mother hasn't told her much about their family's past. She only just revealed that Bavmorda's power is such that her spirit endures so long as her blood does. So while what Kit sees is likely temptation, what Elora sees seems to be the magic of the castle working independently. Or, she is using that energy to show her something she wants to see. Sallyanne Law returns as Elora's mother, perhaps delivering the new dialogue about seeing her. The character's death was not shown in the original film.
Finally, Jade faces off with General Kael in a more materialized version of these Nockmaar ghosts. Her vision also suggests clues to her origin, however, both the treasure door and lost Lux Arcana were lies that the castle showed Boorman. Yet, even if Kael is no more, his legacy seems to live on with the skull-faced Bone Reavers.
Willow Now Has a Way to Include Madmartigan Using Similar Digital Effects
When Elora sees her mother, the original Willow footage ends with Marsh's Bavmorda saying, "Kill her." The shot of her exiting the cell and walking down the hall was likely shot with doubles. Similarly, Law's performance as Elora's mother before being killed doesn't seem to be from the original film. It may have been a deleted scene, though the dialogue as the camera looked at Elora was an invention of the series. This creates the potential for Val Kilmer to reprise his role as Madmartigan.
While Kilmer did lose his voice as a result of illness, he does still act. He played Bluntman in Jay and Silent Bob: Reboot in 2019, reprised his role as Iceman in Top Gun: Maverick and appeared in a handful of other films. If any studio is going to employ an original actor and use a visual-effects created body-double, it's Lucasfilm. The technique used in Castle Nockmaar helps fog over that uncanny valley. They can even use AI-generated vocal performances like Obi-Wan Kenobi. Not only can Kilmer's character get a "new" scene, but Madmartigan's kids can also get a magical moment with their father.
Even if Kilmer doesn't appear, Willow has honored their absent friend throughout the story. The character of Boorman was shaped by his relationship with him, and Amar Chadra-Patel is able to subtly evoke Kilmer in moments without it being an obvious wink-and-nod. Still, the visual effects technology that brought Bavmorda, Raziel and other original film characters back can do the same for Madmartigan.
Willow debuts new episodes Wednesdays on Disney+.