With a puff of smoke, he makes his entrance — a true master of the unexpected!
The memorable theme song speaks the truth: The nostalgic cartoon from the ’90s, Darkwing Duck, is set to make a comeback — and it truly is a surprise.
Disney+ has officially approved a brand-new series, 35 years after the original debuted.
The new premise is outlined as follows: “Darkwing Duck finds himself trapped in his greatest fear: a parallel universe where no one knows of his heroic deeds. Enter Duckie, a rebellious teenager who is well-versed in his storied past, ready to bring this self-important vigilante back into action.”
Although the storyline is fresh, it has been crafted with contributions from Tad Stones, the original series creator, and several iconic characters from the franchise will be making a return, featuring well-known voices.
Mark Hamill will lend his voice to Drake Mallard, better known as Darkwing Duck (the defender of St. Canard, also referred to as the Terror that Flaps in the Night).
The Instagram announcement regarding the reboot received a mixed response from fans of the original show, particularly those who cherished Jim Cummings’ portrayal of the lead character.
“Darkwing Duck = Jim Cummings. Period. Honor your legends, Disney,” commented one fan.
“No disrespect to Mark Hamill; he’s also an excellent voice actor! But Jim gave that character its signature voice,” remarked another.
From left to right: Mark Hamill, Seth Rogen, Lizzy Caplan, and Lilimar Hernandez are set to star in the lead roles of the Darkwing Duck reboot. (Disney+)
Seth Rogen from Canada will voice Launchpad McQuack, Darkwing’s forgetful sidekick, while Lizzy Caplan will portray his adopted daughter, Gosalyn Mallard.
Venezuelan American actress Lilimar Hernandez, known for voicing Valentina (Val) Ortiz in Inside Out 2, is taking on the new role of Duckie.
The original Darkwing Duck premiered on Disney Channel in 1991 and ran for a total of 91 episodes, with the Emmy-nominated series being syndicated until about 1997.
The cherished crime-fighting duck has also been featured in video games for the Nintendo NES and Game Boy.
Rogen’s production company, Point Grey Pictures, which recently worked on a special episode of The Muppet Show for Disney+, is set to produce the new Darkwing Duck.
The Point Grey team referenced the character’s iconic catchphrase in their statement on Tuesday: “Disney said, ‘Let’s get dangerous,’ and we responded, ‘Absolutely!'”