It's been announced today that an all-new Darkwing Duck series has been greenlit for Disney+, bringing back Drake Mallard as the iconic crime fighter Darkwing Duck.
In the 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.
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. Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, Alex McAtee and Gabby Grantham are producing for Point Grey Pictures.
The original series ran for 91 episodes, with Jim Cummings voicing the title character. He will not return for this new take. Instead, Mark Hamill (Batman: The Animated Series) takes over as Drake Mallard, aka Darkwing Duck.
The series also stars Seth Rogen (The Muppet Show) as Launchpad McQuack, Lizzy Caplan (Party Down) as Gosalyn Mallard, Lilimar (Inside Out 2) as Duckie, 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.
Tad Stones is the creator of the original Darkwing Duck series and consulted on the development of his new adventures. In a statement released today, he said, "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. "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."
Produced by Disney Television Animation, the Emmy Award-nominated original Darkwing Duck 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+. A premiere date for this new iteration has not been revealed.