Disney's masked crime fighter returns 35 years later with a new voice cast, familiar villains and an alternate-world adventure that puts Darkwing back into action.
Disney is bringing one of its most beloved animated crime fighters back into action. Darkwing Duck is returning in a new Disney+ animated series, with Mark Hamill stepping into the role of Drake Mallard and his masked alter ego, while Seth Rogen takes on the voice of Launchpad McQuack.
The new series revisits the world of Darkwing Duck 35 years after the original premiered in 1991. Created by Tad Stones, the original Disney animated series followed Drake Mallard, an ordinary duck who adopted the alter ego of crime-fighting superhero Darkwing Duck. Jim Cummings provided the voice of the title character throughout the original show's 91-episode run.
Hamill will portray Darkwing in the new series, while Rogen voices Launchpad. Lizzy Caplan plays Gosalyn Mallard, and Lilimar, who appeared in Inside Out 2, voices a new character named Duckie.
The supporting voice cast includes Dan Stevens (Onslaught) as Glade McTowers, Tiffany Shepis (Star Trek: Picard) as Rosa, Kathryn Newton (Avengers: Doomsday) as Firecracker, Teo Briones (Final Destination Bloodlines) as Timb, Tyler Dean Flores (Neon) as Pondsy, Katie Rich (Saturday Night Live) as Officer Shanks and Nat Faxon (The Descendants) as Officer Webb.
This new story finds Darkwing in a situation particularly suited to a superhero who has never been shy about enjoying the spotlight. For the past 35 years, he has been trapped in an alternate world where no one has ever heard of his superhero exploits.
His return to action begins when Duckie, a rebellious teenager familiar with his heroic past, seeks him out and pulls him back into the world of crime-fighting. The unlikely pair will face familiar villains including Negaduck and Megavolt while reconnecting with allies Launchpad, Gosalyn and Morgana. Their adventure will eventually expand beyond Duckburg as they attempt to save the universe.
Stones, who consulted on the development of the new series, said he is excited to see the character return with a new creative team.
"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," Stones said.
Stones also compared Darkwing to characters such as Robin Hood, Zorro and Sherlock Holmes, whose stories have been reinterpreted by different creators, in different eras and across different mediums.
"No matter when or where, Darkwing Duck will appear in a cloud of blue smoke to grab the spotlight," he said.
The series comes from Sean Tretta (Star Trek: Picard) and Borja Peña Gorostegui (Lost & Crowned), who serve as executive producers. Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, Alex McAtee and Gabby Grantham are producing through Point Grey Pictures.
The original Darkwing Duck premiered in 1991 and ultimately ran for 91 episodes. The complete original series is currently available to stream on Disney+.
The project also marks another Disney collaboration for Point Grey Pictures. The company recently produced a special-event installment of The Muppet Show for Disney+ celebrating the franchise's 50th anniversary, which went on to receive four Emmy Awards.
Point Grey's television credits also include The Studio, The Boys and Invincible.
"Disney said 'Let's get dangerous' and we said 'hell yeah,'" the Point Grey team said in a statement.
Disney+ has not yet announced a premiere date for the new Darkwing Duck series.
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