‘Scooby-Doo’ fans get the snack they’ve been waiting for: Velma is gay
“Scooby-Doo†fans who have long held that Velma Dinkley is a lesbian got their official confirmation this week when a clip from Cartoon Network’s new Halloween special began circulating online.
The viral clip, tweeted Tuesday by DiscussingFilm, shows the character disarmed, blushing and her glasses fogging up when she encounters a new character named Coco Diablo in “Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo!â€
“Jinkies,†sighs Velma, voiced by Kate Micucci, after romantic music plays for their meet-cute.
“Velma is finally confirmed to be part of the LGBTQ+ community in the latest Scooby-Doo film ‘TRICK OR TREAT,’†the tweet said.
Creatives behind the numerous “Scooby-Doo†adaptations have for years tried to disambiguate Velma’s sexuality.
Actor Hayley Kiyoko, who played Velma in the live-action feature film adaptations “Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins†(2009) and “Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster†(2010), was among the many who welcomed Tuesday’s affirmation.
“I remember booking Velma in 2008. It was my first big role in a movie. I also remember thinking ‘I wonder if they know they hired a lesbian as Velma,’†she tweeted. “here we are, 14 years later …… love you all so muchâ€
Animator and producer Tony Cervone said in 2020 that the “Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated†series, which ran from 2010 to 2013, sprinkled in potential love interests for Velma, including a mermaid and a story arc with Marcie “Hot Dog Water†Fleach.
“I obviously don’t represent every version of Velma Dinkley, but I am one of the key people that represents this one,†he wrote on Instagram during Pride Month that year. “We made our intentions as clear as we could ten years ago. Most of our fans got it. To those that didn’t, I suggest you look closer. There’s no new news here.â€
Also in 2020, “Guardians of the Galaxy†and “The Suicide Squad†filmmaker James Gunn said that his initial script for the live-action 2002 “Scooby-Doo†film, now regarded as a cult classic, featured Velma as “explicitly gay†but was eventually overruled in the final cut.
Pat Carroll, who voiced Ursula in “The Little Mermaid,†died Saturday at 95. The role defined Disney’s queer canon — and helped launch a renaissance.
“I tried! In 2001 Velma was explicitly gay in my initial script. But the studio just kept watering it down & watering it down, becoming ambiguous (the version shot), then nothing (the released version) & finally having a boyfriend (the sequel),†he tweeted at the time.
On Tuesday, he retweeted Variety’s tweet proclaiming that the character “is officially a lesbian.â€
“Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo!†premieres Oct. 14 on Cartoon Network (and on HBO Max on Oct. 15). It is part of “Scoobtober,†Warner Bros. Discovery’s annual monthlong programming slate, which includes two other projects: “Scooby-Doo! and Guess Who?!,†which airs Tuesdays through Thursdays on Cartoon Network, and this Friday’s crossover, “Straight Outta Nowhere: Scooby-Doo Meets Courage the Cowardly Dog.â€
“Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo!†is not to be confused with HBO Max’s upcoming “Velma†series, which stars Mindy Kaling as the titular character. It’s unclear how much the cartoon character’s sexual orientation will be explored in that adaptation.
HBO Max unveiled a poster teasing its “killer new take†on Wednesday. The visual doesn’t actually show Kaling’s Velma (she can be seen in previous teasers) but prominently features a pair of her iconic eyeglasses splashed with blood: “Mindy Kaling is Velma,†it says, with the tagline “It’s the mystery before the Inc.â€
In May, Kaling, who also executive produces the streaming series, addressed another character trait modification for Velma: that she’s South Asian.
“Hopefully you noticed my Velma is South Asian,†the “Never Have I Ever†co-creator said at the Warner Bros. Discovery Upfront presentation, referring to the character’s skin color. “If people freak out about that, I don’t care. ... Nobody ever complained about a talking dog solving mysteries, so I don’t think they’ll be upset over a brown Velma.â€
Another poster, released earlier this week, features her Velma with the tagline “This is my story told my way. Get ready for some main character energy.â€
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