Disney+ has officially greenlit a new Darkwing Duck animated series with a star-packed voice cast. Mark Hamill, Seth Rogen, Lizzy Caplan and Lilimar will lead the latest adventure for Disney’s masked crime fighter.
The original Darkwing Duck debuted in 1991 and followed the adventures of Drake Mallard and his superhero alter ego. The crime-fighting duck became one of the most recognizable characters from Disney’s animated television lineup of the era.
Mark Hamill Takes Over as Darkwing Duck
Tad Stones created the original series, which ran for 91 episodes. Jim Cummings provided the voice of Darkwing Duck in that version.
Hamill will take over the title role in the new series. Rogen will voice Launchpad McQuack, while Caplan will play Gosalyn Mallard and Lilimar, who appeared in Inside Out 2, will voice Duckie.
The supporting cast includes Dan Stevens (Onslaught) as Glade McTowers and Tiffany Shepis (Star Trek: Picard) as Rosa. Kathryn Newton (Avengers: Doomsday) will voice Firecracker, while Teo Briones (Final Destination Bloodlines) plays Timb.
Tyler Dean Flores (Neon) joins the cast as Pondsy, and Katie Rich (Saturday Night Live) will voice Officer Shanks. Nat Faxon (The Descendants) rounds out the announced cast as Officer Webb.
A New Creative Team Takes Control
Sean Tretta (Star Trek: Picard) and Borja Peña Gorostegui (Lost & Crowned) are leading the new iteration and will serve as executive producers. Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, Alex McAtee and Gabby Grantham are producing the series for Point Grey Pictures.
Stones also consulted on the development of the new show. His involvement connects the new project with the creative roots of the original series.
Darkwing Faces His Worst Nightmare
The new series will place Darkwing Duck in a dramatically different situation. According to the official logline, the hero has spent decades trapped in a world where no one remembers his legendary exploits.
“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.”
Point Grey Pictures also embraced one of the franchise’s best-known catchphrases when announcing the project. “Disney said ‘Let’s get dangerous and we said ‘hell yeah,’” the Point Grey team said in a statement.
Tad Stones Welcomes Darkwing’s Return
Stones said he is eager to see another creative team reinterpret the character while maintaining the spirit of the original series. He compared Darkwing Duck to enduring fictional heroes whose stories have changed across generations and formats.
“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.”
Stones added that reinventing familiar characters can reveal what makes them endure. “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.”
The Original Series Built a Lasting Legacy
Disney Television Animation produced the Emmy-nominated original Darkwing Duck. The series first premiered on Disney Channel before expanding to ABC and syndication beginning in 1991.
Its ABC run concluded in 1993, while the initial syndication run ended in 1995. The show returned to syndication from 1996 to 1997 and is currently available to stream on Disney+.
Darkwing Duck also expanded beyond television during its original run. The franchise produced video games for the Nintendo Entertainment System and Game Boy and appeared in Disney Afternoon’s Fun-Filled 1st Issue! comic book in November 1994.
More recently, Darkwing Duck returned to television through the latest iteration of DuckTales. Now Disney+ is preparing to put the masked hero back at the center of his own series.
