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Emilio Estevez talks returning to 'Mighty Ducks': People want "comfort food"

Emilio Estevez reprises his role as hockey coach Gordon Bombay in The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, a new Disney+ series based on the popular 90s film franchise. Estevez recently spoke with Yahoo Entertainment about what led him back to the Ducks.

In 1996, after the second sequel, D3: The Mighty Ducks, Estevez left mainstream movies to direct and act in some indie projects of his own. Now, he says, given the uncertain times we are living in, was the right time for the story to continue.

"People are feeling nostalgia for very different reasons ... the country has suffered incredible, painful loss," he said. "And I think people want to tuck into something that feels familiar, that feels like comfort food."

Watch more from Estevez in the video interview above.

Video Transcript

- I have spent my entire life chasing hockey, and I have absolutely nothing to show for it.

- You have us.

ETHAN ALTER: This is real exciting. I watched the original "Mighty Ducks" films growing up. So it's fun to see you back in the role and back with the franchise and everything. In terms of, I mean, talking with Steve Brill about coming back, what were your sort of early discussions about bringing Gordon back?

EMILIO ESTEVEZ: The last time I was in sort of a mainstream movie was the year that I shot "Mighty Ducks 3" and the first installment of the "Mission Impossible" franchise. And so I was exiting one franchise and getting the opportunity to be a part of another. Of course, you know, we know how all that ended in "Mission Impossible," not well, the first 10 minutes.

But I went into the wilderness, if you will. And I kind of went off and did 25 years of independent filmmaking, which it has its advantages and disadvantages. You know, obviously making those movies and being able to premiere at film festivals all over the world and some of them were celebrated. And that was fun. But it feels now like this opportunity to come full circle and come back into more mainstream filmmaking and mainstream fare with the "Mighty Ducks Game Changers."

People are feeling nostalgic for very different reasons. Obviously we've been cooped up. The country has suffered incredible and painful loss. And I think people want to tuck into something that feels familiar and feels like comfort food and feels safe.

ETHAN ALTER: Well, speaking of comfort food, I certainly notice in the first episode, you're-- Gordon is eating all the time. That's a nice little bit of actor business you're doing.

EMILIO ESTEVEZ: Yes. And it was written in that he's eating pizza and he's eating cake. So I didn't want to eat a bunch of sugary cake for that scene. I was like, listen, can we make it healthier? Can we make it out of cornbread? And he was like, yeah, we can put icing over the cornbread. And I was like, great. But you know cornbread, unless it's just sopped in sauce and beans, it's really dry. So I'm eating it, and I'm dry. And I'm trying to deliver my lines. And the cornbread's falling out of my mouth. And it's not like a frosty, creamy, wonderful cake would have been. It was such a mistake in my insistence on being more healthy. I just drove myself over a cliff with that one.

But we discover Bombay now. And he's eating leftover food. And he's sleeping in a couch in his office. And he doesn't shower it seems. And he doesn't have any friends. And has no wife or girlfriend, never had any kids. It's like, what's the matter with this guy? It's the question that I asked them often is like, where is this guy? Where's he going? Where's he been? What the writers will tell you is like, well, that happened off camera.

And so some of those questions are answered throughout the course of the show. But I think we've also saved some mystery in the event that we do come back for season two or three or beyond if we're lucky enough.

ETHAN ALTER: I do want to try one of your former co-stars-- child co-stars in the original film, Shaun Weiss, has had some hard times recently. Have you been in touch with him since the original films ended? Have you reached out to sort of offer your help as he's been dealing with his issues?

EMILIO ESTEVEZ: Well, as everyone knows, my family is not immune to any of that sort of scrutiny. Shaun's journey has been a very personal journey for him. I have not reached out to him. I do hold him in high regard. And I know that getting sober for him was obviously a big deal. And he's celebrating a year now and I'm terribly proud of him. And that's the first leg of the journey is now under his belt. I'm encouraged and I'm hopeful. And I think that this business is tough on everyone, and it's especially tough on young people.

ETHAN ALTER: Assuming there's a season two, would you hope him or any of the other ducks return? Are you hoping to have some cameos coming up?

EMILIO ESTEVEZ: Steve Brill, the original creator of the show and I like to say that the door is always open for any of you the original ducks, the ODs, to join us. Obviously I've got it here, got the OD Jersey. You got to have it on hand. Here we go. Bombay. There it is. But yeah, once an OD, always an OD. And original ducks are certainly welcome to join us.