Disney+ is about to get dangerous, because the terror that flaps in the night is returning. The Mouse House has greenlit a new Darkwing Duckseason. This time Mark Hamill will voice the animated superhero. And we already know what his Darkwing Duck looks like thanks to an image from the show.
Drake Mallard is coming back. He’s heading to Disney+ to battle evildoers once more. Disney has ordered what it calls a “continuation” of the ’90s Darkwing Duck animated series. This iteration comes from Sean Tretta (Star Trek: Picard) and Borja Peña Gorostegui (Lost & Crowned). They will also serve as executive producers. Original creator Tad Stones “consulted on the development” of the Darkwing Duck series, which will see Mark Hamill taking over the role of the crime fighter from original voice Jim Cumming. (He’s probably going to react really well to being replaced!) The first image from the new show reveals that Darkwing Duck will look a little different than we’re used to.
Who Else Stars in the New Darkwing Duck Series?
The show will also feature Seth Rogen as the voice Launch McQuack. He serves as a producer for Point Grey Pictures along with Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, Alex McAtee, and Gabby Grantham. The series also stars 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.
How Will the Disney+ Darkwing Duck Series Work with the Original?
Disney+ also provided a synopsis that explains how this new Darkwing Duck series will serve as a continuation rather than a reboot:
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.
“Like every other fan of the original show, I’m excited to see Darkwing getting dangerous again in a whole new series,” said Stones in a press release. “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.”
NerdistTake: This Darkwing Duck Is the Same Terror We’ve Always Loved
This news has been a long-time coming. Disney has been talking about a Darkwing Duck reboot since 2020. (The character did appear in his own DuckTales special that year.) But clearly he needed to escape a parallel world before he could make our TVs dangerous again.
Even though this version of Darkwing Duck isn’t identical to the one we know and love, we’re willing to give him a shot. After all, if Mark Hamill is voicing him, he’ll probably be every bit as good as the original.
