The Robertson family is coming back stronger than ever.
But they’re carrying a heavy burden this time around.
And the head of Duck Dynasty’s Robertson clan just revealed one thing America desperately needs right now.
Season 2 will honor Phil Robertson’s memory
Willie Robertson sat down with Fox News Digital to talk about "Duck Dynasty: The Revival" Season 2, and the weight of his father’s absence hung over the conversation.
Phil Robertson died in May 2025 at age 79 after battling Alzheimer’s disease.¹
The timing felt almost providential to Willie.
"I think it was such a pass-over, literally, because the show came out when Phil passed away… just within a few days of each other," Willie told Fox News Digital.²
Season 1 premiered on June 1, 2025 — just one week after Phil’s death.³
The family filmed that first season before Phil died, managing only a brief in memoriam tribute with an old video clip of Phil giving a thumbs up.⁴
Season 2 will be different.
"We’re so glad we’ve got all the memories and great video content of Phil. So starting off Season 2, we get to really celebrate his life and walk the viewer down a little bit of memory lane about him," Willie explained.⁵
The family watched Phil decline for months after his December 2024 Alzheimer’s diagnosis.⁶
"When you deal with Alzheimer’s or dementia, you really watch them slide and go downhill. So you get prepared," Willie said. "It wasn’t sudden and we knew the day was coming."⁷
But Willie believes Phil was ready.
"I think he was ready to roll, he’s ready to move on to the next life, which he talked about, I think every day of his life while he was here on this Earth," Willie told Fox News Digital.⁸
Phil built Duck Commander from nothing, turning his passion for duck hunting into a multimillion-dollar empire.⁹
The original "Duck Dynasty" ran from 2012 to 2017 on A&E, becoming one of the most-watched nonfiction series in cable television history.¹⁰
At its peak, the show drew nearly 12 million viewers who tuned in to watch the bearded Robertson clan navigate business, family, and faith.¹¹
What America needs to see
Willie didn’t beat around the bush when Fox News Digital asked him about the show’s purpose in 2025.
"I think right now — I think it’s important for the country to see a family, to see a healthy family and to see joy in the things that come out of our family," Willie stated.¹²
That’s not marketing speak or empty television promotion.
Willie remembers what happened during the original run.
"We certainly saw that before with our family, where so many people would come to us and just say, ‘Thank you for putting that on,’" Willie recalled. "Maybe we can’t all live by each other. We can’t all sit together and have a prayer at the end of a meal. But we love seeing that. It helps encourage us. And so I think in these times — I think that can be helpful."¹³
The Robertsons aren’t trying to be perfect.
They’re just showing what’s possible when faith comes first.
"The anchor has been, really, the faith that goes back to our three things that we started ‘Duck Dynasty’ with, which were faith, family and ducks — in that order," Willie explained.¹⁴
Phil Robertson drilled that priority system into his sons for decades.
Faith first. Family second. Everything else follows.
"What happens in life is things will start getting ahead of the other. And so you’ll look up, and maybe you’re like, ‘Uh-oh, my faith is sliding a little bit,’" Willie said.¹⁵
That’s when trouble starts showing up everywhere — at home, at work, on camera.
"We’ve noticed that it helps. The stronger our faith is, it helps keep our families together… when the family’s together, it can help whatever you’re doing at work," Willie added. "If not, you’ll definitely see it at work — you’ll see it show up, especially on a show like this."¹⁶
Why the Robertsons resonate with millions
Korie Robertson, Willie’s wife, understands something Hollywood keeps forgetting.
"We really kind of understood from the very beginning that this was something bigger than us. It wasn’t about you or me getting famous. It was about something bigger than us," Korie told Fox News Digital.¹⁷
That dinner table prayer at the end of each original episode wasn’t staged for ratings.
"We had that prayer at the end around the dinner table — and we didn’t do it for some because we had it planned. We just did it because this is what we do," Korie explained. "We love to have dinner together as part of our family life. And we had this prayer that God really used in a powerful way."¹⁸
The original "Duck Dynasty" became a cultural phenomenon by accident.
The Robertsons were just being themselves — loud, funny, deeply Christian, and unapologetically conservative.¹⁹
Liberal critics dismissed them as caricatures.
Viewers disagreed.
The show’s success proved millions of Americans were starving for wholesome entertainment that didn’t mock their values.²⁰
When Phil Robertson made controversial comments about homosexuality to GQ magazine in 2013, A&E suspended him.²¹
The backlash was so intense that A&E reversed course nine days later.²²
The Robertson family didn’t change who they were to keep their show on the air.
And viewers rewarded them for it.
What Season 2 will bring
"Duck Dynasty: The Revival" Season 2 is currently in production with a premiere date expected in early 2026.²³
The show will follow Willie and Korie as they navigate life with adult children and grandchildren while determining the future of Duck Commander.²⁴
Willie is technically semi-retired from the day-to-day business operations, which creates new dynamics for the family to explore on camera.²⁵
The Robertson kids — including Sadie Robertson Huff, who has become a conservative influencer in her own right — are now raising families of their own.²⁶
Miss Kay Robertson, Phil’s wife of 60 years, and Uncle Si Robertson remain part of the show.²⁷
But Phil’s absence changes everything.
Willie knows filming without his father has been emotional for the entire family.
"It’s sad, but I think he’d be happy," Willie said. "He’d be happy that we kept it going — especially the way the show has faith as part of it, the family."²⁸
The Robertsons aren’t trying to replace Phil or pretend his loss doesn’t hurt.
They’re honoring his legacy by continuing to live out the values he taught them.
In a media landscape dominated by dysfunction, division, and despair, the Robertsons are offering something radically different.
A real family. Real faith. Real joy.
Willie Robertson believes that’s exactly what America needs right now.
¹ Peter Kramer, "Phil Robertson, ‘Duck Dynasty’ Star, Dies at 79," NBC News, May 26, 2025.
² Stephanie Giang-Paunon, "’Duck Dynasty’ star Willie Robertson says America needs to see ‘healthy family’ now more than ever," Fox News, October 24, 2025.
³ Ibid.
⁴ "’Duck Dynasty: The Revival’ Season 2 Will Give Phil Robertson a Proper Tribute," Parade, October 19, 2025.
⁵ Ibid.
⁶ Stephanie Giang-Paunon, "’Duck Dynasty’ star Willie Robertson says America needs to see ‘healthy family’ now more than ever," Fox News, October 24, 2025.
⁷ "’Duck Dynasty: The Revival’ Season 2 Will Give Phil Robertson a Proper Tribute," Parade, October 19, 2025.
⁸ Stephanie Giang-Paunon, "’Duck Dynasty’ star Willie Robertson says America needs to see ‘healthy family’ now more than ever," Fox News, October 24, 2025.
⁹ "Phil Robertson – Wikipedia," Wikipedia, accessed October 24, 2025.
¹⁰ "Duck Dynasty – Wikipedia," Wikipedia, accessed October 24, 2025.
¹¹ Ibid.
¹² Stephanie Giang-Paunon, "’Duck Dynasty’ star Willie Robertson says America needs to see ‘healthy family’ now more than ever," Fox News, October 24, 2025.
¹³ Ibid.
¹⁴ Ibid.
¹⁵ Ibid.
¹⁶ Ibid.
¹⁷ Ibid.
¹⁸ Ibid.
¹⁹ "Duck Dynasty of Phil Robertson: Fame, Family, and Faith," Chatterlane, June 3, 2025.
²⁰ "Duck Dynasty Threatens The Left," The Federalist, December 24, 2013.
²¹ "Duck Dynasty – Wikipedia," Wikipedia, accessed October 24, 2025.
²² Ibid.
²³ "’Duck Dynasty: The Revival’ Season 2 Will Give Phil Robertson a Proper Tribute," Parade, October 19, 2025.
²⁴ "’Duck Dynasty: The Revival’ to Premiere Summer 2025 on A&E," A&E Networks, January 22, 2025.
²⁵ "’Duck Dynasty: The Revival’ Proves Willie Robertson Isn’t Ready To Retire," Collider, June 9, 2025.
²⁶ "Everything We Know About DUCK DYNASTY: THE REVIVAL Season 2," Movieguide, June 30, 2025.
²⁷ "’Duck Dynasty: The Revival’ to Premiere Summer 2025 on A&E," A&E Networks, January 22, 2025.
²⁸ Stephanie Giang-Paunon, "’Duck Dynasty’ star Willie Robertson says America needs to see ‘healthy family’ now more than ever," Fox News, October 24, 2025.
