Crime-fighting duck Drake Mallard is ready to get dangerous for a new generation of fans as Disney+ has greenlit a Darkwing Duck series, with Mark Hamill (Star Wars franchise) set as the voice of the titular character. The animated series comes from Sean Tretta (Star Trek: Picard) and Borja Peña Gorostegui (Lost & Crowned), who both serve as executive producers.
The creator of the original ’90s cartoon, Tad Stones, consulted on the development of the duck’s new adventures. A return to the world of Darkwing Duck was first announced as being in development back in 2020 from the same auspices: Disney Branded Television and Point Grey Pictures.
In addition to Hamill, the cast includes 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.
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” fighting old enemies like Negaduck and Megavolt and reunite with allies Launchpad, Gosalyn, and Morgana to save the entire universe.
“Like every other fan of the original show, I’m excited to see Darkwing getting dangerous again in a whole new series,” said Stones. 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. 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, Darkwing Duck ran for 91 episodes. It originally 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. The character also made his mark in the Disney Afternoon “Fun-Filled 1st Issue!” comic book in November 1994, appearing alongside otherDisney characters like Bonkers, the Goof Troop, and TaleSpin in Volume 1, No. 1. In recent years, the mallard has appeared in the latest iteration of DuckTales.
