The Mighty Ducks Sequel Gets Disney+ Premiere Date and Trailer

It's time to revisit one of the most beloved movie franchises.

Disney+ gave fans a first look at its new original series, The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers on Thursday, with a thrilling teaser trailer that gave us a taste of what to expect on the TV iteration, premiering Friday, March 26.

Nearly 30 years after first taking flight, The Mighty Ducks returns in a brand new chapter starring Lauren Graham and Emilio Estevez in the iconic role he originated as legendary Coach Gordon Bombay.

In the 10-episode season set in present-day Minnesota, the Mighty Ducks have evolved from scrappy underdogs to an ultra-competitive, powerhouse youth hockey team.

After 12-year-old Evan Morrow (Brady Noon) is unceremoniously cut from the Ducks, he and his mom, Alex (Lauren Graham), set out to build their own team of misfits to challenge the cutthroat, win-at-all-costs culture of youth sports today.

With the help of Gordon Bombay, they rediscover the joys of playing just for the love of the game.

The series also stars Brady Noon, Maxwell Simkins, Swayam Bhatia, Luke Islam, Kiefer O'Reilly, Taegen Burns, Bella Higginbotham, and DJ Watts.

The sequel scored a series order in February 2020, but there was no word on Emelio's return.

That news came a few days later.

"Once a Duck, always a Duck!” Estevez exclaimed in a statement confirming his casting.

“After 25 years, I am delighted to lace up my skates, put on Coach Bombay’s jacket and return to play the iconic character for this new chapter in The Mighty Ducks franchise."

"Likewise, I am thrilled to return to my old stomping grounds with my friends at Disney and Steve Brill, the original creator of the franchise, to join them on their exciting new platform, Disney+.”

Disney+ ordered up 10 episodes in a straight-to-series deal, and it was filmed in Vancouver. There was a slight delay due to the pandemic, but with the series landing a premiere date, all those issues appear to have been resolved.

It is produced by ABC Signature, a part of Disney Television Studios. Steve Brill, the original creator, writer, and executive producer of all three films, which spawned an NHL franchise, is back as co-creator and executive producer of the new series.

Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa (The King of Queens, 13 Going On 30) are co-creators and will serve as executive producers and showrunners.

Michael Spiller serves as executive producer/director on the series, with James Griffiths serving as director/EP on the Pilot.

Emilio Estevez is an executive producer, and Lauren Graham is a co-executive producer. George Heller and Brad Petrigala of Brillstein Entertainment Partners and Jon Avnet and Jordan Kerner also serve as non-writing executive producers.

Disney+ has been expanding some of its biggest movie IPs by way of TV spinoffs. The Star Wars universe has already been expanded with The Mandalorian, and there are countless other shows set in the universe in various stages of development.

As for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, WandaVision recently launched to rave reviews, and at least nine more MCU TV series are planned for streaming.

With theaters largely closed due to the pandemic, all eyes are on the streaming wars, and Disney+ is doing something right.

Its subscriber base is growing exponentially, proving that it is a force to be reckoned with. Netflix is still the top dog around the world, but it had a huge advantage in that it was the only big streamer around for several years.

In territories outside the U.S., Disney+ is adding a new hub called Star, which will include U.S. movies and TV shows, including Big Sky, Love Victor, and more.

Have a look at the trailer below and hit the comments with your thoughts on it.

Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.