Fans of the Willow series on Disney Plus must feel very confused about Willow season 2, as it's not exactly clear. People should have expected more, when the end credits of season 1 teased a volume II and volume III to come.
And while news broke that Disney Plus canceled Willow, it seems that the story isn't over. Creator Jon Kasdan has tweeted that the series is instead going to be delayed, and the cast has been released from their obligations. The rest of this story, as originally written, follows.
These days, nobody can really expect a show to get renewed, but Willow feels like the kind of show that will get its second arc. Not only does it have a pre-existing fanbase, but the series was written with a cliffhanger of sorts. And then, well, there was that Willow season 1 ending tease that suggests far more is coming.
But, to pull back a bit, Disney Plus' Willow pulled off a strong sequel to the original Willow movie. It brings back Warwick Davis as Willow Ufgood, an aspiring sorcerer who helped Madmartigan (Val Kilmer) save an infant Elora Danan and stop the Demon Queen Bavmorda.
So, after the spoiler warning, we're going to go into everything you need to know about the potential Willow season 2, with details from the Willow season 1 finale.
Is Willow season 2 confirmed?
Not yet. That said, it sure was hinted at. At the very end of Willow episode 8, a credits scene gave us the visual that Willow season 1 was merely Volume I. Which sat next to Volume II and Volume III.
Let's see if Disney Plus lets us "open" those volumes.
Willow season 2 release date speculation
So, it took 2 years and 1 month for Willow to get from green-light to Disney Plus, with October 2020 being the start date and Nov. 2022 being its release. Since half of that time saw the series work on casting, and filming only began in June 2021, one could wonder if Willow season 2 will take another two years. We doubt it, though. How long it took to write Willow season 1, though, is the biggest piece of information we need.
We do know that there were 17 months between Willow season 1's filming starting and its release date, though, so it's not hard to imagine the wait for season 2 will be long.
Showrunner Jon Kasdan told Gizmodo, though, that he's basically still waiting on anything serious to get started on Willow season 2, stating "My marching orders have always been 'Go forward, young man. Keep coming up with these stories.' And I’m certainly game to do it and I love everybody involved. So that’s not a hard order to get to work on."
That could be read as "Disney wants Kasdan to stay writing," to cut down on time between seasons. Either way, we're thinking the next season (if it happens) will arrive in less than two years, so we'd predict Willow season 2 in the fall of 2024.
Willow season 2 cast speculation: Who's still alive?
So, the good news is that all of your favorites should be back for Willow season 2.
The only characters that we don't expect back are The Crone (Jane Carr) and Lili (Rosabell Laurenti Sellers), who were dispatched with at the end of season 1.
Yes, those who paid attention were rewarded with the fact that Tony Revolori's Prince Graydon is still alive. He's not living a great life at the moment, stuck inside the Wyrm's clutches. Graydon is now expected to be the new Harbinger of the Wyrm in Willow season 2, were it to happen.
So, with that established, here's the cast we expect back for season 2:
- Ruby Cruz as Princess Kit Tanthalos
- Ellie Bamber as Elora Danan
- Dempsey Bryk as Prince Airk
- Erin Kellyman as Jade
- Tony Revolori as Prince Graydon
- Amar Chadha-Patel as Thraxus Boorman
- Warwick Davis as Willow Ufgood
- Joanne Whalley as Queen Sorsha
- Kevin Pollak as Rool
- Christian Slater as Allagash
- Annabelle Davis as Mims
You should probably highlight Mims, though. Why? We expect more of her next time out, as Kasdan said he is "very eager to spend more time with [Mims] in season two."
Willow season 2 story
Well, it's all about love.
In the end of the Willow finale, we saw Elora declare that the power of love was needed to free Airk from the Wyrm's clutches. That same power of love, we're guessing, will be needed to save Graydon. Of course, he may be harder to save if Elora and Airk are a thing in season 2. Some of us think that will happen, some I've talked to believe Airk will continue to be not-exactly-relevant to the story.
Elora, at the moment, seems to not be desperate to get back with Airk.
Aside from the gang eventually learning that Graydon is alive, and saving him, the big through-line that connects the two seasons is likely about Kit's responsibility to protect Elora.
We're also likely going to see how Willow's desire for powers continue without his staff, which he sacrificed for the good of his friends.
