Get ready for some night flaps, because Darkwing Duck is officially flapping back. Yes, that’s right, Disney+ is bringing back a new animated series with Mark Hamill voicing Drake Mallard, better known as Darkwing Duck. Also gracing us with his presence will be, Seth Rogen, playing Launchpad McQuack. Wow, a pairing I just had to write about today.
Here’s some interesting news on the cast. Lizzy Caplan will voice Gosalyn Mallard, with Lilimar joining as a new character named Duckie. Dan Stevens, Kathryn Newton, Teo Briones and Nat Faxon also have roles in the series. Rogen will executive produce alongside Evan Goldberg and the Point Grey Pictures team, while original creator Tad Stones will serve as a consultant. TheWrap confirmed the news, although Disney has not announced a release date yet.
But the new story is not simply picking up where things ended. Darkwing has apparently spent the last 35 years trapped in an alternate world where nobody has heard of him. And that means, no famous adventures or heroic reputation. And most upsetting of all, there won’t be an audience waiting around to admire his entrance. Ain’t that just awful for Darkwing? We all know that he does not believe in saving the day in quiet mode. Hey, this is a duck who arrives in a cloud of smoke and introduces himself before doing almost anything useful. He loves being a hero, but he also loves everyone knowing that he is the hero. So placing him in a world where his name means nothing is exactly the kind of problem guaranteed to drive him completely mad.
But fear not, because a rebellious teenager named Duckie, who knows about his past and pulls him back into battle. The pair will face familiar villains such as Negaduck and Megavolt, while Launchpad, Gosalyn and Morgana will also return. There is plenty here for fans of the original show to get excited about. But I must admit, Mark Hamill as Darkwing has really sparked my curiosity. Hamill has spent years proving that he can disappear into animated characters. His Joker remains one of the most recognisable villain performances of all time, even though you never see his face. Drake Mallard needs something completely different, of course, but Hamill certainly understands theatrical men who enjoy hearing themselves speak.
And yes, I realise that comparing Darkwing Duck to the Joker sounds slightly dramatic. But I guess Darkwing would probably appreciate that.
The original series premiered in 1991 and ran for a whopping 91 episodes. Yeah, it was one of those that belonged to a wonderful period of Disney television when animals flew planes, solved crimes and maintained surprisingly demanding careers. Nobody seemed particularly concerned that Launchpad crashed almost everything he touched. He simply turned up for work the next morning, which is honestly a level of professional confidence we could all learn from.
But you know what, the show worked because Drake was more than a collection of catchphrases. I admire the fact that he was brave, deeply dramatic and occasionally so impressed with himself that he made a simple rescue far more difficult than necessary. And I’m sure that took a lot while juggling with raising Gosalyn and becoming the father she needed. That relationship right there gave the chaos somewhere to land.
Now Disney could have easily brought back the costume, villains and familiar jokes and called it a day. But they didn’t and I’m glad for that. Because we have reached the point where almost every childhood favourite is waiting for somebody to open the vault and give it another season. Some return in great shape. Others look like they should have enjoyed retirement.
At least this revival has found an amusing reason for Darkwing to come back. He has not been sitting around waiting for Disney to remember him. He has been trapped somewhere that forgot him completely, which feels slightly too honest for a character returning after 35 years.
Tad Stones said the new team has increased the action and comedy without losing the Disney heart. That sounds promising, especially because the heart mattered just as much as the nonsense. Darkwing could spend an episode fighting an electric rat and still find time for a family problem at home. Television was very productive in the 1990s.
For now, we know the cast, the premise and that several familiar characters will return. We do not know when the series will arrive or whether Hamill’s version of Drake will sound anything like the one fans remember.
But Darkwing finally has another chance to introduce himself.
Whether the alternate universe wants to hear the entire speech is another matter.
