Conversations with the Cast of ‘The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers’

Truly, The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers on Disney+, boasts one of the most incredible casts out there. For not only does it feature Lauren Graham and Josh Duhamel, a pair of modern legends, but it also features a host of talented new faces. All of whom make up the Mighty Ducks, and we here at Nerds That Geek were lucky enough to sit down with the entire team, and a bonus cast member, to discuss the show.
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So, without further ado, here is what Brady Noon (Evan Morrow), Naveen Paddock (Jace), Sway Bhatia (Sofi Hanson Bhatt), Maxwell Simkins (Nick Ganz), Luke Islam (Jaden “Koob13” Koobler), DJ Watts (Sam), and Taegan Burns (Maya) had to say about season two of The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers.

John Betancourt: What does it mean to each of you, to be part of such a storied and important franchise?

Brady Noon: I think it's, it's super, super amazing to be part of such an amazing franchise that has been going on for so long. And to just continue the legacy with such an emphasis on the nostalgia part and the growing and now touching into this new generation with kids and just being able to attract all the different ages is just incredible.

Naveen Paddock: Yeah, I mean, you know, I grew up on this show, like, I remember, I spent a night at my grandparents’ house where me and my brothers like binge watched all the movies in one night. So, it's just it's such an honor to be a part of this, this amazing franchise.

Sway Bhatia: Yeah, just going off of what they said, I think it's such a special moment. And we're all honored to be part of this amazing legacy and be there for you know, the original fans who watch the show, and watched the movies in the 90s. And now introducing this amazing storyline to young kids I think is so important. The idea of bringing the underdogs to the championship is a really uplifting story.

Taegan Burns: It’s really special. I mean, I think being a part of this franchise and being able to be a part of this series. It's… it's incredible. And it's something that I can't really explain. But the word that just comes to mind is special.

Maxwell Simkins: I'd say the same thing. It's like this very nostalgic thing, like, very random example. But if someone made a new Thomas the Train, I was huge into Thomas the Train when I was little, I don't know, very random thing. I'm not old enough to be like, “Oh, back when I was little.” But to do something that people can relate to you on like a personal level. I think it means a lot.

DJ Watts: I agree with Maxwell and Taegan. So, it's really special. It’s special to me because this is something I never expected to like actually do, especially when it comes to like hockey? So that's, that's definitely special.

Luke Islam: Yeah, kind of piggybacking off of what everyone said, I think the movies mean a lot to people, especially in the fact that like, you can find yourself in any one of the Mighty Ducks, being kind of like the underdog kind of thing. So, I understand that it does mean a lot to people, having the responsibility of taking on the new series is definitely intense. But we all love it.

John Betancourt: What is the number one message you hope audiences take away from this season?

Sway Bhatia: I think the number one message is it's okay to be you and to try not to be anyone else. You know, going through that self-identity crisis, it's real. It's… we all go through it. I think that's what's really important about the season is taking away and seeing how relatable this is. And knowing that just it's okay to be different and to be unique. I think that's what a lot of kids will be able to relate to this season. And not just kids but teens and adults.

Naveen Paddock: I agree with Sway. I think that like really, this season is just about being yourself, and kind of figuring out who you want to be. I know that with Jace, towards the beginning of the season he's kind of conflicted about, you know, who he wants to be and through, you know, the Ducks, he's able to figure that out. And I think that, as a viewer, a lot of people will learn from that experience. At least that's what I hope.

Brady Noon: I mean they summed that up pretty well. I mean, I hope they get a good laugh out of it as well. I think there's more to the show, then just figuring about how you who you are and figuring out your own identity, which I think is a very important theme. But you know, there's a lot of heart in it. And there's a lot of comedy in it. And I hope they have a good laugh and a good time watching it.

Taegan Burns: Well, I would say that friendship is a really important thing. And I mean, we do see these kids come from Minnesota to California, and they're going through this kind of crazy experience together. So, I think it's just friendship and sticking together throughout this intense thing.

DJ Watts: For me, I guess you could say it's like, just kind of like the saying, “Never judge a book by its cover.” Like, when we first came to the camp, nobody thought that we’d be back. Like we ended up becoming the team, you know, that earns the most respect. So, like, we all started off as like, “Who are these kids, they're just here?” They're just like random people that just showed up at the camp. So being able to do that and being able to, like actually show that message to like younger viewers. Any age viewers, actually, is special.

Luke Islam: For me, I just think I really want, especially our young viewers, to take away that everybody is different. Everybody has different interests has different skill levels at things. And although it can be scary, and also there's you know, a little bit of insecurity in including people within your group, you know, everyone is much stronger together than alone. So just kind of be open and make everyone feel comfortable. That's what I want people to know.

John Betancourt: What are you most looking forward to audiences experiencing this season?

Brady Noon: Just like I've said pretty much a good laugh. I hope they; they enjoy it. I hope they… what I really want to see is I want to see everyone just binge watch it. I really like when I read comments about how they wait, wait, and let them all build up until they all come out. And then they binge watch it all with like a bunch of their friends and families. I think those moments are great. And just, hopefully just good reactions, which I'm sure we will get we have such an amazing cast and looking forward to the feedback.

Naveen Paddock: I gotta agree with Brady on this one. I think… I mean, I wasn't there for the first season. So, I don't really have those same experiences, but I'm so excited for it to come out and to hear the feedback. You know, I think we just have such a talented bunch here that you know, I'm really looking forward to see what people think.

Sway Bhatia: Yeah, I think the people should be able to experience that that feeling of being able to relate with the with the people, I think also something that the original fans should be able to relate is that nostalgic vibe that they felt when watching the first movies, I hope, I hope that's what they experienced. And also just, you know, I think what I said before about understanding all these characters and knowing that it's okay to be yourself I think it's also the experience of just sitting down and enjoying a show and being able to follow the storyline and follow these relationships and where the show takes us.

John Betancourt: What are you most proud of when it comes to your work on the show?

Sway Bhatia: I think I'm really proud of what we filmed for sure. But the message that we're able to give to the fans. And the message that we're able to bring across… the idea of lifting people spirits is just really sweet. If you know, I hope that if someone's having, you know, a bad day, and they turn on the show, and just end up smiling because like Brady mentioned the comedy in the show, that's, that's sort of what I hope people are able to take away. And I'm really proud of the work that we've done, and the hard scenes and the intense days we've had, and I'm just really proud of, of the entire cast and the amazing connections that we've made.

Naveen Paddock: I gotta say, I'm really, really proud of the hockey stuff that we filmed, I think, you know, you never really realize how much time goes into all those little, you know, quick shots of, you know, passes or whatever. But, you know, I think I'm really proud of all that, because it really is kind of like a pretty tedious process.

Brady Noon: Oh yeah, I’m going with Naveen on this one. I feel like everyone put in a lot of hard work on the ice, especially and even on camera. And it's definitely going to be perceived well, when it translates onto camera. And I think that's, that's great. And I'm just super excited for everyone to see it.

Maxwell Simkins: I think the relationships I’ve built with everyone on the cast. I mean, it's like some shows you’ll be on, and you'll never see the people again, some shows you'll be in contact with, you know, like, shows I've done when I was six years old, some of them I've never seen some of them (the cast) I still talk to, to this day. So, I feel like I'm very blessed and happy that I can still hold a relationship and have contact with all these people because they’re so great and talented, it's great to great to keep in contact with them and know them personally. And I don't know that that means a lot to me.

DJ Watts: To piggyback off what Maxwell said, relationships that's a really big thing. Um, like he said a lot of films that I've worked on… never see the people again, certain films you keep in contact with them. Um, but this is actually like one film that I've actually worked on where like I still keep in contact with everybody on the show. And like we can still actually call each other friends we can still FaceTime each other, we don't have to take like months apart before we talk.

Luke Islam: I would say I’m most proud of everyone's commitment to the show, filming a 10-episode series, especially for two seasons can be very draining, and it takes a lot of work. And everyone here did such a good job of staying positive. And, you know, making sure that we did it. So, I would say that.

Taegan Burns: Yeah, like what everyone said, I think that especially during the first season through COVID and all, we all stuck by each other. And it was a lot of dedication to this project. I'm so proud of all the cast and crew, of all the hard work and I'm again, really glad that the relationships we've built off set, is something also really important to me.

This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

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