A “Velma” teaser has been made available by HBO Max. The titular Velma, one of the main characters in the franchise and a member of Mystery Incorporated, is the focus of the ‘Scooby-Doo brand spinoff series.
Mindy Kaling, a comedian, author, and actor who also voices Velma, created the show. The franchise has long been known for its kid- and family-friendly programming, but “Velma” seems to be geared more toward adults. There is also some meta-humor present in this. It is yet to be seen if the franchise’s followers would find this approach appealing.
It is also noteworthy that ‘Velma’ managed to escape the cost-cutting measures applied by the CEO of the new entity Warner Bros Discovery, despite several films and TV episodes being canceled at HBO Max.
Velma is shown wailing about how the streaming service is remaking a classic film as she types a text message to someone at HBO Max. She seems to be inside her house. She gets a phone call. A serial killer is who it is. When the view moves outside the house, we see blood splattering on a window. None of the others, including Shaggy and Scoob, are present. It is difficult to tell what Kaling is doing with the character from this teaser.
In the most recent Scooby-Doo! movie, Trick or Treat, Velma was revealed to be canonically a lesbian.
James Gunn, the author of the live-action “Scooby-Doo” from 2002, has previously claimed that Velma was a lesbian in his script but that Warner Bros. erased all references to her sexuality.
Gunn said in a 2020 tweet that “Velma was openly gay in my initial script in 2001. However, the studio merely kept diluting it down, making it ambiguous (in the version that was shot), then nothing (in the version that was released), and ultimately having a boyfriend (in the sequel).
The plot summary for “Velma” is as follows: “The origin story of Velma Dinkley, the underappreciated brains of the Scooby-Doo Mystery Inc. crew, is told in the adult animated comedy series VELMA. One of America’s most adored mystery solvers has a complicated and colorful past, which is revealed via this creative and funny twist.”
Velma will debut sometime in 2019.