ET was exclusively on location with Duhamel and Graham as they previewed the new season of the Disney+ series.
Josh Duhamel is hitting the ice! The actor joins The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers season 2 as ex-NHL player Colin Cole, who leads a no-joke competitive summer hockey institute that the Ducks team, led by coach Alex Morrow (Lauren Graham), attend after the Don't Brothers win the Mighty Ducks name.
Earlier this year, only ET was on location at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, where the actual Anaheim Ducks play, to welcome Duhamel -- who happened to be directing the episode they were filming -- into the Mighty Ducks family following Emilio Estevez's departure after season 1. Duhamel previewed the new season alongside Graham with ET's Lauren Zima.
"He's amazing. I couldn't be having more fun," Graham marveled to ET about her new Mighty Ducks co-star. "I feel so lucky that we got to get Josh as an actor and he's been an incredible director. These are days he wouldn't have even have to be [on set] if he wasn't directing the show so it's just really fun and it's fun to be back in California."
Graham also took a turn behind the camera, making her directorial debut on the Disney+ series. "I directed for the first time too and that was really fun, but extremely challenging to be in so much of it," she admitted. "I thought I did an OK job but it's the double [workload] that's sort of a mind-bender."
Duhamel gave viewers a glimpse into his character, who's described as hardcore and charming, though he didn't quite buy the latter descriptor.
"I don't know about the last one, it said he's a little cult leader," he joked. "He's got these kids brainwashed into thinking hockey is the ultimate thing that you should be doing even on your summer break: 'This is what you should be doing. School is just a distraction for hockey.' That's his opinion so he's a little hardcore, a little obsessive but I think that [Lauren's] character really brings out that side of him that doesn't have enough fun and that's what he sort of learns throughout the season. That it's not just about hockey. There are other parts of life that you should probably pay attention to too."
Though Duhamel's character does not formally replace Estevez's Gordon Bombay, the actor had nothing but positive things to say about the legacy Estevez left on the Mighty Ducks franchise.
"I love these movies. I grew up with these movies. Emilio started this thing and it was tough to come in and take the place of a guy who was here from the beginning, but they did an amazing job recreating this character. The Ducks are in a completely different place at this epic institute for hockey elite kids around the country... so it felt like a natural spot for me to fill in," he said.
The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers co-stars Brady Noon as Alex's hockey-playing son, Evan; Max Simkins as Evan's best friend, Nick; as well as Swayam Bhatia, Taegen Burns, Luke Islam, DJ Watts and new cast addition, TikToker Connor DeWolfe.
"It doesn't feel good when the kids know you got a kissing scene coming up and they're all like, 'Ew!,' like we used to do with our parents," Duhamel quipped. "When we talked about our parents kissing I was like, 'It's not, 'Ew. When did I become 'ew'?' But for these kids we are the parents. They are super talented, super fun group of kids. I'm having so much more fun than I even expected to have here."
With a new season kicking off, the storylines are maturing as the young cast grows up alongside their characters.
"It's a completely new version. It's definitely a 2.0 from the previous season. I loved the first season, but the kids are growing up. They're doing things they haven't done before and it's just really fun," Duhamel teased.
Season 2 of The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers streams Wednesday, Sept. 28 on Disney+.
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