And just when you think they’re about to break apart— Ducks fly together!

And when the wind blows hard and the sky is black— Ducks fly together!

When the roosters are crowing and the cows are spinning circles in the pasture… Um, Okay — Ducks fly together!

And when everyone says it can’t be done — Ducks fly together!

There has not been a halftime speech in the history of halftime speeches greater than the one given in D2: The Mighty Ducks! As a child, I grew up with The Mighty Ducks. Those kids were my heroes, and I enjoyed watching them play hockey. The first film was a great comedy, the second film took things to a new level and was the best of the trilogy, and the third film, while not as good as the second, was a solid end for fans. The Mighty Ducks Trilogy spawned an actual NHL team (the Anaheim Ducks) and a fun animated series (Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series). The film and the animated series are a grand part of the ‘90s nostalgia that is being recaptured in film today. In the era of reboots, remakes, and delayed sequels it’s about time that we get both D4: The Mighty Ducks and Mighty Ducks: The Animated Movie.

‘The Mighty Ducks’

The Mighty Ducks Trilogy was loved by kids worldwide. It was fun, entertaining, and dealt with real issues that many children, athletes, and students go through. We see the main characters start as young children learning to play hockey and then we watch them grow into young adults. A great thing about the film series is that the character growth is not limited to the children. Coach Bombay (Emilio Estevez) is shown to grow from an entitled self-absorbed lawyer into a loving coach and mentor, especially to Charlie Conway (Joshua Jackson). Charlie becomes the kids’ leader and team captain. While he is not the most skilled of his teammates, he is very kind and levelheaded. We see him assume more of a leadership role in D3: The Mighty Ducks when Coach Bombay is absent. Seeing how these relationships have continued to change would make an interesting film.

Several of the actors from The Mighty Ducks Trilogy have gone on to lead moderately successful careers. It would be great if all returned for a sequel. Emilio Estevez was already a star when the first film came out and he has taken few roles since, focusing more on his directing. It’s essential that he return as Coach Bombay. Kenan Thompson was also a growing star when the film came out and has maintained his success. Currently, he is a regular on Saturday Night Live. It would be nice to see if his character, Russ Tyler, can still pull off that “knuckle puck!”

Joshua Jackson found fame in the late ‘90s and early 2000s as Pacey Witter on Dawson’s Creek and later as Peter Bishop on Fringe. Charlie Conway is and always will be the Mighty Duck’s captain! Eldon Henson has had bit parts since his tenure in The Mighty Ducks Trilogy but has recently found a home in Marvel’s Daredevil on Netflix. His portrayal of Foggy Nelson is quite different than Fulton Reed, so it would be great to see him don the “Bash Brother” persona once again.

D4: The Mighty Ducks would be quite easy to cast and cheap to film. With many of the actors not being major film stars, Disney could hire them for a good deal. Emilio Estevez could be hired to act in and direct the film to further save on costs. I would prefer for them not to recast any of the roles, but I would be open to the idea if some of the original cast chose not to return. This would give Disney the chance to add some extra star power to the film. Dwayne Johnson does make every film better — every film!

‘Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series’

Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series was also loved by kids worldwide. This was mainly due to the level of love the films received. Originally airing on ABC with shows like Gargoyles — Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series was a ‘90s focal point — even though it only lasted one season. The animated series, however, was totally different from the film series with the only similarity being the name. Featuring a team of anthropomorphic humanoid ducks from Puckworld, Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series follows Wildwing, Nosedive, Tanya, Duke, Mallory and Grin as they battle Dragaunus and try to find a way back home. During the conflict, the ducks become trapped on Earth in Anaheim, California, no less and manage to become the NHL team, the Anaheim Ducks, with the arena as their home and HQ.

Mighty Ducks: The Animated Movie would be great to see on the silver screen. Given the fact that Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series is a Disney property and Disney has been doing well with its Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar franchises, I’m sure they would be successful in adapting this show as well. The show’s 26 episodes can easily be adapted into an entire series of films. Hopefully concluding a storyline fans never got to see. While it would be interesting to see this film made as live action, I think it would be better suited as a 3D computer-animated superhero-comedy similar to Big Hero 6. This would allow for greater collaboration with Pixar.

The characters in Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series are fun, loveable, and have pun-tastic names! Come on, who doesn’t love a name like Wildwing Flashblade, Canard Thunderbeak, or Duke L’Orange. Everything about this series screams animated movie! This would make the film easier to market to towards children while bringing in the parents who grew up watching the original show. Not to mention how many toys Disney could sell from the merchandising deals alone. I’m not sure if McDonald’s still gives out toys with their happy meals, but if I saw that they had Mighty Ducks toys, then I might buy a few happy meals for myself. To make this work, Disney would need big name actors to voice the team. A good mix of old and new voices would be smart. I’m thinking they should hire Chris Pratt as Nosedive Flashblade and bring back Brad Garrett as Check “Grin” Hardwing. For good measure, they should also include Alan Tudyk for additional voices because he is simply amazing.

Although The Walt Disney Company no longer owns the Anaheim Ducks, I’m sure they could work out a deal with the current owners that would benefit both the real and fictional teams. They could even add the Mighty Ducks to their growing list of characters at their Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. The possibilities are practically endless with this franchise. Disney needs to adapt these titles a.s.a.p.! It’s not often a company can get two totally different films from one of their older franchises. I realize doing both is a stretch, but a man can dream.

Are you a fan of The Mighty Ducks Trilogy and Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series? Leave your comments below.