There’s been quite a bit of scuttlebut for awhile in regards to a reboot of Darkwing Duck, the beloved ’90s Disney Afternoon property. Sure enough, today Disney officially announced that a Darkwing Duck series has been greenlit for Disney+.
According to the official press release, this action-packed continuation of the beloved franchise comes from Sean Tretta (Star Trek: Picard) and Borja Peña Gorostegui (Lost & Crowned), who both serve as executive producers. As previously rumored, Point Grey Pictures is involved so Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, Alex McAtee and Gabby Grantham will serve as producers. Though the original voice actors will not be reprising their roles fans can take solace that Darkwing Duck creator Tad Stones consulted on the development on this new series.
Tad Stones offered the following:
“Like every other fan of the original show, I’m excited to see Darkwing getting dangerous again in a whole new series. The new creative team has certainly amped up the action and comedy without forgetting the Disney heart. This series places DW in the literary tradition of Robin Hood, Zorro, and Sherlock Holmes, heroes whose lore has been reinterpreted by multiple creators in multiple mediums. They explored the core of those characters by tossing them into new eras, new relationships, and even new universes. No matter when or where, Darkwing Duck will appear in a cloud of blue smoke to grab the spotlight.”
Here’s how Disney teased the new series:
For the last 35 years, Darkwing Duck has been trapped in his worst nightmare: an alternate world that’s never heard of his superhero exploits. Now a rebellious teen named Duckie who knows all about his heroic past shows up to pull this ego-fueled vigilante back into battle. Together, this unlikely duo will get dangerous to fight old enemies like Negaduck and Megavolt and reunite with allies Launchpad, Gosalyn and Morgana to save the entire universe.
As previously mentioned, the voice cast of the original series won’t be reprising their roles. This will no doubt be a sticking point for many old school fans particularly since Jim Cummings, the original voice of Darkwing Duck, is still working in the industry and more than able to do the voice.
Be that as it may, this Darkwing Duck reboot series has assembled quite a stellar cast which includes Mark Hamill as the titular character. This being a Seth Rogen animated project, he’s obligated to be in it. For Darkwing Duck he’s voicing Launchpad McQuack, a casting choice I’m sure will be spark much discussion on the internet. The rest of the voice cast includes Lizzy Caplan as Gosalyn Mallard, Lilimar as Duckie, Dan Stevens as Glade McTowers, Tiffany Shepis as Rosa, Kathryn Newton as Firecracker, Teo Briones as Timb, Tyler Dean Flores as Pondsy, Katie Rich as Officer Shanks, and Nat Faxon as Officer Webb.
Produced by Disney Television Animation, the Emmy® Award-nominated original “Darkwing Duck” series ran for 91 episodes. It originally premiered on Disney Channel, then aired on ABC and in syndication beginning in 1991. The ABC run concluded in 1993, with the syndication run wrapping up in 1995. It made a brief return to syndication from 1996 to 1997. Beyond television, the series made a significant impact in the world of video games, with the release of “Darkwing Duck” for the Nintendo NES (1992) and Game Boy (1993). The character also made his mark in the Disney Afternoon “Fun-Filled 1st Issue!” comic book in November 1994, appearing alongside other beloved Disney characters like Bonkers, the Goof Troop and TaleSpin in Volume 1, No. 1. In recent years, the iconic character has appeared in the latest iteration of “DuckTales.” The original series, “Darkwing Duck,” is streaming now on Disney+.
