In 1991, Darkwing Duck swooped onto television screens with his cape, oversized hat and an unforgettable declaration: “Let’s get dangerous!”
Now he’s getting dangerous all over again.
Disney+ announced on Tuesday, Sept. 22, that it has greenlit an all-new Darkwing Duck animated series, bringing Drake Mallard back for a new adventure 35 years after the original series premiered.
And there’s a major star stepping behind the mask this time around: Star Wars legend and renowned voiceover actor Mark Hamill will voice Darkwing Duck.
Hamill is certainly no stranger to animated superheroes and villains. Hamill famously voiced the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series and numerous subsequent DC projects.
He’ll be joined by an impressive voice cast that includes Seth Rogen as Launchpad McQuack, Lizzy Caplan as Gosalyn Mallard and Lilimar as a new character named Duckie.
What Is the New ‘Darkwing Duck’ About?
The new series comes with a clever explanation for Darkwing’s lengthy absence.
According to Disney, Darkwing has spent the past 35 years trapped in his “worst nightmare”: an alternate world where nobody has ever heard about his superhero exploits.
That changes when Duckie, a rebellious teenager who knows about Darkwing’s heroic past, arrives and pulls the famously ego-driven vigilante back into action.
The pair will take on familiar villains including Negaduck and Megavolt while reuniting with characters from the original series, including Launchpad, Gosalyn and Morgana, as they attempt to save the universe.
The new Darkwing Duck comes from executive producers Sean Tretta and Borja Peña Gorostegui, with Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, Alex McAtee and Gabby Grantham producing through Point Grey Pictures.
Original Darkwing Duck creator Tad Stones also consulted on the new incarnation.
“Like every other fan of the original show, I’m excited to see Darkwing getting dangerous again in a whole new series,” Stones said in the announcement.
He added that the creative team has “amped up the action and comedy without forgetting the Disney heart.”
Who Is in the New ‘Darkwing Duck’ Cast?
Beyond Hamill, Rogen, Caplan and Lilimar, Disney has assembled a sizable cast for Darkwing’s return.
Dan Stevens will voice Glade McTowers, Tiffany Shepis will play Rosa, Kathryn Newton will voice Firecracker, Teo Briones will play Timb and Tyler Dean Flores will voice Pondsy.
Katie Rich and Nat Faxon round out the announced cast as Officer Shanks and Officer Webb, respectively.
Point Grey’s team had a rather succinct response to getting the chance to resurrect the beloved superhero.
“Disney said ‘Let’s get dangerous’ and we said ‘hell yeah,'” the producers said.
When Did the Original ‘Darkwing Duck’ Come Out?
The original Darkwing Duck premiered in 1991 and ultimately ran for 91 episodes. The Emmy-nominated animated series initially aired on Disney Channel before expanding to ABC and syndication.
The original ABC run ended in 1993, while its syndicated run continued through 1995 and briefly returned from 1996 to 1997.
Darkwing didn’t disappear entirely after that. The character appeared in the more recent DuckTales series, while the original Darkwing Duck remains available to stream on Disney+.
The franchise also spawned Nintendo NES and Game Boy games in the early ’90s, along with comic-book appearances.
Disney has not yet announced a premiere date for the new series.
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