Some might have a point when it comes to stating that Disney and a few others are having trouble coming up with new ideas since the role of Gavin Cole, which will be taken on by Josh Duhamel in the upcoming season 2 of The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, is something that’s been done before, albeit in a different manner. If anyone remembers The Mighty Ducks 3, and I’m sure there are plenty that do, the Ducks made their way to the upscale prep school known as Eaton Hall, where they met Coach Orion, who came out as a tough and very demanding individual but ended up being one of the best coaches the Ducks had ever had. It remains to be seen how the character of Gavin will measure up, whether he’ll be the type of guy that is bound to be tough but fair, or if he’s kind of like Bombay, though it does feel as though this won’t be the case. A lot of fans are still in disbelief as to why Emilio Estevez won’t be coming back for the second season, but there’s still hope to think that other original Ducks might make it back.
This is kind of the history of the Ducks, however, since if one remembers, District 5 in the original movie didn’t have that much luck with coaches since the individual that came before Bombay had a heart attack if the kids were to be believed, and even Gordon would be on his way eventually. One big difference is that Gordon decided to try his hand at being a player once again, and when his knee was blown out he came back to coach the Ducks once again. He did lose his way during the second movie and lost touch with the team, but again, he did make his way back and earned their trust once more. Once he accepted a position that would take him away from the Ducks once more it felt like a repeating pattern, that Bombay would always seek the heights when the chance to ascend was presented. Some wouldn’t blame him, and in a lot of cases, it’s easy to say that as much as he cares about the Ducks, he’s not about to let them stand in his path when there’s something better.
That would be a very juvenile way to think since the truth is that one can maintain their loyalty to others while seeking to better themselves, but too many folks don’t want to see it this way. But getting back to the point, Estevez’s departure is still a bit muddied when it comes to a definitive reason why he left since some say it was a contract dispute and others say it was because he refused COVID screen protocols or something related to this. But the point is that he won’t be in the second season, and Duhamel will. Now all that remains to be seen is whether Gavin will be a new fixture in the show or if he’ll be someone that’s out there for motivation and inspiration for one season. That question will hopefully be answered by the time the show returns to Disney+, but it might not be such an easy question to answer.
What would be nice is to see that the desire for another Mighty Ducks movie, not a reboot or a remake, could finally gain traction and become a reality. Seeing as many of the original Ducks make their way to the big screen again would be a lot of fun, and it would be great to incorporate the new characters in Game Changers as well. Folks love underdog stories since it reminds them of several things, one of those being that underdogs aren’t truly underdogs so long as they play to their strengths to overcome the challenges that are set in front of them. Granted, the Don’t Bothers probably should have been challenged even harder during the season, but in the spirit of the Ducks and how hard it was for the initial team to gain any respect, the first season had a lot of ground to cover, especially when it was revealed that the Ducks were now the bullies.
Bringing Josh Duhamel, whether it’s for one season or more, might take the Ducks in a slightly different direction, but without Gordon Bombay, there are a couple of things that can happen. One is that the new Ducks will be devastated and down in the dumps upon learning that their fabled coach is no longer there. The other is that despite his departure, they’ll find a way to use his teachings and climb to new heights that they hadn’t thought about yet, and therefore follow the actual spirit of the Ducks, which is to soar as a team and do what many believe to be impossible. It’s a great way to look at things, but we’ll have to wait and see what happens.
The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers
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