Maxwell Simkins, Luke Islam, Taegen Burns, and De’Jon Watts Talk Mighty Ducks: Game Changers Season 2

Maxwell Simkins, Luke Islam, Taegen Burns, and De’Jon Watts are four of the stars of The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers.

After winning back the Mighty Ducks team name last year, our squad-with-heart and their coach Alex Morrow (Lauren Graham) take to the road to attend an intense summer hockey institute in California run by charming yet hardcore former NHL player, Colin Cole (Josh Duhamel). It’s a place for kids to get excellent at hockey — without school getting in the way. As our Ducks try to survive in this super-competitive environment, they’re faced with the question: Can you win summer?

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Maxwell, Luke, Taegen, and De’Jon about The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, the show’s success, and more!

PC: Maxwell, your character has so many comedic moments in Season 1 and Season 2. Has comedy always come so naturally to you? Do you have a favorite moment from your character in either season?
Maxwell: No! Thank you so much. That means a lot. I feel like I’ve always been a goofy, happy-go-lucky, fun kid. That helps a bunch. I’ve been lucky that some of the directors have let me improv. I love improvising. Hopefully, people enjoy it. I think I do a good job when I do. That’s one of my favorite aspects of comedy.

PC: Luke, in addition to acting, you’re also a singer, and we get to see you combine your two passions in that final episode of Season 1. What was your reaction when you read that in the script? Is that something that we could expect in Season 2?
Luke: Thank you so much. I screamed a bunch. I loved when they surprised me with that. It’s my favorite thing to incorporate my love of singing into my love of acting. It’s always a joy. In Season 2, who knows? Maybe, maybe not. We’ll have to see.

PC: DJ, you were such a fan of Mighty Ducks growing up, and this series does such a great job honoring the films while introducing something new. Having been such a big fan, was there a moment in Season 1 where you had to pinch yourself as you became a Duck?
DJ: When I met the original Ducks! That was the moment when everything was a blur. I was like, “Wait, is this real? Am I dreaming? What is happening right now?” That was one of my first times actually being starstruck. I’d never been starstruck before in my life until that moment.

PC: Taegen, so much of Maya’s journey in Season 1 is about finding her place. You handled that with so much nuance. What can we expect from her in Season 2?
Taegen: For Season 2, we get to see Maya more comfortable with her group of friends. She definitely gains a lot of confidence. In Season 1, she was still struggling to find her true friends and where she fits in. But this season, she knows who her true friends are.

PC: There are so many fun cameos in Season 1. If you could have a former Duck appear on the show, who’s on the top of each of your lists?
Maxwell: I think DJ and I have the same one. We were talking about how cool it would be if we had Kenan Thompson.

Luke: We had a lot of the original ones last season. I would say Kenan or Joshua Jackson. They would be iconic.

Taegen: I agree with the guys

Make sure to follow Maxwell (Instagram), Luke (Twitter/Instagram), Taegen (Instagram), and DJ (Instagram). Season 2 of The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers is airing now on Disney+.