I grew up ignoring the 1992 family film The Mighty Ducks. Why waste my time on kid-hockey drama when I could watch alien ducks from Puckworld fight crime between games? For me, Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series (especially its stitched-together movie debut, The First Face-Off) was peak ‘90s cool: a six-member, Power Rangers–style team, wrapped in Rocket Power energy that made hockey look like the greatest sport alive. It also has one of the most incredible theme songs in cartoon history. Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series has no ties to the live-action trilogy beyond hockey and the branding, but with its sci-fi leanings and timeless premise, it still feels ripe for an X-Men ’97-style revival today.
On Puckworld, a planet of anthropomorphic ducks, legends tell of Drake DuCain, the hero who once defeated the alien Saurian Overlords. However, as his story fades into myth, many doubt he ever existed. In the present day, fledgling Wildwing idolizes his schoolmate Canard, a natural leader and star athlete who dismisses the old legend — until Dragaunus, the last surviving Saurian, returns to free his banished brethren and conquer Puckworld.
As Dragaunus seizes control, Canard forms a resistance, recruiting Wildwing, his younger brother Nosedive, and a handful of others who will become the Mighty Ducks. Their fight leads Canard to discover DuCain’s legendary high-tech mask hidden in Twin Beaks Mountain, forcing him to accept the legend’s truth. But in their final pursuit of Dragaunus, Canard makes the ultimate sacrifice, passing the mask and leadership to Wildwing before the team is flung through a hyperspace chase that lands them in… Anaheim, California.
Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series hits all the hallmarks of classic sci-fi (Terminator-style futurism, space-opera drama) and fits right in with the wave of anthropomorphic team cartoons that defined the ‘90s, from Street Sharks and Thundercats to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and SWAT Kats. With that formula, and Disney’s brand power behind it, the series drew in big-name talent: Jim Belushi as the Ducks’ sleazy but hilarious manager (and narrator), Tim Curry chewing scenery as Dragaunus (he calls them “meddling mallards”), and Clancy Brown lending his unmistakable voice to Siege, Dragaunus’ military strategist. Brad Garrett, Jennifer Hale, Jeff Bennett, Ian Ziering, and Townsend Coleman are just a few of the now-legendary names that lent their voice to this all but forgotten cartoon.
For a show about ducks from space, it’s also impressively self-aware, with Nosedive often squeezing in fourth-wall-breaking jokes between his very 90s-coded one-liners. The ducks’ manager, Phil Palmfeather, is always trying to find ways to market the team, to the point where one has to wonder if he was based on an actual executive who thought of this show as a means of expanding the film franchise beyond sports drama. Three decades later, in an era where Deadpool reigns supreme, that type of humor would be a cinch for Disney to replicate, especially as a means to provide comedy for the adults bound to stumble onto a would-be reboot of a cartoon they barely remember.
At the heart of the series sits Wildwing, its undeniably cool lead. He’s the team’s goalie, built like Brock Lesnar, and a total badass — not because he starts that way, but because leadership is forced on him after Canard’s sacrifice. That reluctant-hero arc grounds a team that’s just as fun as they are fierce.
Rounding out the crew we have:
- Obligatory member that’s into gadgets, Tanya Vanderflock (voiced by April Winchell)
- Suave, former jewel thief, Duke L’Orange (Jeff Bennett)
- Zen-like bruiser Check “Grin” Hardwing (Brad Garrett)
- Resident fiery redhead, Mallory McMallard (Jennifer Hale)
The Mighty Ducks crack jokes, drop Earth slang, geek out over comics, and go shopping — then hit the ice to stay sharp for their real job: fighting crime. Between clashes with Dragaunus, the Mighty Ducks also take down Earthbound threats like gangsters, bikers, and small-time crooks, doubling as both superheroes and hockey stars.
The concept is rich with potential, even if the original run didn’t always live up to it. After an outstanding two-part premiere, Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series slipped into standard Saturday morning tropes, like the obligatory femme fatale episode, leaving plenty of room for a smarter, more ambitious continuation today. The Mighty Ducks brand might not be as strong as it used to be — Disney’s recent attempt to revive the franchise failed after two seasons — but perhaps the solution is to lean into the weirdest version possible.
In this era of everything being dusted off for a reboot, from ReBoot to Tiny Toons Looniversity, this is one ‘90s show with a premise and surviving talent that is worth giving another shot. And hey, it’s not too late to somehow tie in the animated series with the live-action sports drama.
Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series is available to stream on Disney Plus.
