HBO Max’s animated series Velma has now officially premiered, with Mindy Kaling stepping in to voice the titular hero. Having first been teased in October 2022, fans have been excited to see this fresh take on the iconic character in an origin series for adults, but they also have some questions. Is Scooby-Doo in the new Velma show on HBO Max? Here’s what we know.
Does the Velma HBO Max show include Scooby-Doo?
Scooby-Doo does not appear in Velma on HBO Max. While many think of the canine as an essential part of Mystery Incorporated, otherwise known as Mystery Inc., his story simply does not cross with Velma’s at this time in her life. Those working on the show explained the decision during a panel at New York Comic Con, where they said that Warner Bros. Animation told them they couldn’t use Scooby, and that they personally didn’t want to include him because he was what made the original cartoon “a kid’s show.”
Despite this, Velma will be joined by some familiar faces including Shaggy (Sam Richardson), Fred (Glenn Howerton), and Daphne (Constance Wu), as they come together for their very first mystery. The voice cast also includes the likes of Jane Lynch, Wanda Sykes, Gary Cole, Ken Leung, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Nicole Byer, and Fortune Feimster.
As a prequel series, there’s every chance that any future installments of Velma could introduce Scooby-Doo. Warner Bros. will be looking to the numbers that the show brings in before making any commitments, of course, so it could be some time before we find out anything about the series’ future.
Right now, the show seems to be dividing critical opinion quite equally. At the time of writing, it sits with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 63% based on eight reviews. Hopefully, it will be able to bring in some more praise as the weeks and episodes go by.
