After decades of insinuations, Scooby-Doo has been cast as a lesbian

A new movie has halted decades of fan speculation and suggestions from former “Scooby-Doo” series hosts by asserting that Velma Dinkley, a brain puzzle solver with a standing orange turtleneck, is legally gay.

To the many fans who always assumed she treated her the same Lesbian iconWell, that wasn’t shocking. But her appearance in “Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo!” , which was released Tuesday on several digital services, was the first time the long-term franchisor had acknowledged her sexuality, Thrilling some fans who were disappointed that it took so long.

Created by Hanna-Barbera Productions, Scooby-Doo debuted as a Saturday morning animation in 1969, and has been frequently reinvented in television shows, movies, and comics. It generally follows a group of detective teens, consisting of Velma, Daphne Blake, Fred Jones, and Norville “Shaggy” Rogers, along with a mischievous Great Dane, Scooby-Doo.

Previous Scooby-Doo writers and producers said Velma was a lesbian, but said the studios’ response would not allow them to portray her as an on-screen one. The new film, directed by Odie Harrison, leaves no doubt about her sexuality.

in one scene Of the most recent iteration, Velma the Shy, voiced by Kate Micucci, is fond of seeing a new character, Coco Diablo, who mirrored Velma’s fashion sense with a high neck and oversized glasses. in Later scenedenies that Coco is her type before confessing: “I’m crushing big time, Daphne. What do I do? What do I say?”

It was a kind of public reference to her sexuality that had failed to make the final cuts before.

In response to a fan on Twitter, James Gunn, who wrote the screenplay for 2002’s live action movie Scooby-Doo, wrote in 2020 that “Velma was clearly an anomaly in my initial script.”

“But the studio continued to tone down and tone it down, it got vague (version shot), then nothing (released version) and finally had a boyfriend (the sequel),” he wrote in the tweet. Widely mentioned at that time and has since been deleted.

That same year, Tony Cervone, co-founder of “Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated,” the 2010 series on Cartoon Network, was published Instagram photo From Velma standing in front of the flag of pride.

“We made our intentions as clear as possible ten years ago,” Mr. Cervone wrote. “Most of our fans got it. For those who haven’t, I suggest you look closely.”

In response to a fan, he specifically said that “Velma at Mystery Incorporated is not bi. She is gay” As per screenshot saved by Out . magazine.

Matthew Libby, a 22-year-old marketing student who runs Scooby-Doo History Twitter Account.

She had occasional courtship and short relationships, Especially with Johnny Bravo Libby said in the ’90s crossover cartoon, but her romantic feelings were rarely as central to the story as the other characters. When I dated Shaggy in Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated said, “It’s something that doesn’t feel natural to both of them.”

Lately, shows and movies have increasingly indicated her interest in women, so “it’s not something that comes out of the blue,” he said. He said Velma is a fan favorite because it talks about a common struggle: she’s clever and awkward who often leads the gang in the right direction but doesn’t get as much credit as the others.

“A lot of young women, and a lot of people in general,” he said, “could look to her as a great example and a role model to look up to.”

Another Velma personality change is coming soon. In 2021, HBO Max ordered an adult animated series called “Velma.” Mindy Kaling will voice the South Asian character on the show.

“No one has ever complained about a talking dog solving puzzles,” Mrs. Kaling He told the audience In May at a presentation for Warner Bros. Discovery Upfront, which provided a first look at the show expected later this year. “So I don’t think they would be bothered by Velma Brown.”

Warner Bros. declined. , which owns the Scooby-Doo franchise, commentary.

The rise of lesbian characters on TV It was a slow process, often marked by gimmicks and blatant plays for ratings. They often came in the form of “lesbian kiss episodes,” written largely to titillate rather than explore real relationships.

In recent decades, lesbian relationships have been on TV It got more complicatedeven if the metaphors are not completely gone.