Everyone knows Scooby-Doo, the talking dog who solves mysteries with Shaggy Rogers, Fred Jones, Daphne Blake, and Velma Dinkley. Scooby and his gang were a part of many people’s childhoods and are iconic figures in the world of kids’ television. 

The many spinoff shows and movies cemented the impact the lovable dog had on children. I know I spent many weekends watching Mystery Incorporated, one of the multiple Scooby-Doo Shows, and keeping an eye on the first Scooby-Doo overarching storyline. 

So it doesn’t come as a surprise that Scooby-Doo has gotten another spinoff show in 2022, but what is surprising, and personally upsetting, is how it’s being made. 

It was announced to be in the works in 2021, but major news has come as of only a few days ago at the New York Comic Con. The show titled Velma, produced by Mindy Kaling, will be centered on the backstory of Velma Dinkley, also played by Kaling. However, several changes will be made to the traditional style of Scooby-Doo that we have come to love. 

For one, Kaling has decided to branch into adding diversity to the historically white protagonists. Daphne Blake (Constance Wu), the fashionista who has a tendency to get into danger, will be Asian. Shaggy Rogers (Sam Richardson), who goes by his birth name Norville in this spinoff, is black. Kaling will be playing Velma, a South Asian character. Only Fred appears to remain white, played by Glenn Howerton. 

These changes have naturally caused a lot of controversy in the community, as changing the ethnicities of such iconic characters is a major deal. Some minorities love the idea of putting a new spin on the characters, while others, including myself, feel as if it completely changes the nostalgic feel and how we relate to the characters. 

The second change to Velma shakes the concept of Scooby Doo being a childhood icon. Instead of the traditional family friendly style that has always been associated with the characters, Kaling will be making the show aimed towards adults. 

Previews sent out by HBO Max reveal it is considerably more gory and vulgar than any remake or spinoff has been before. Supposedly, the new show will take the gang on a wild ride with what is typical of a much more grown-up show: drug dealers, gory corpses, and vulgar relationships. Many are worried about how it seems to be branching too far from the original cartoons – this could negatively affect the nostalgia that adults have felt towards the show. 

As much as these changes are controversial, people are much more unanimously infuriated by the third change: Scooby-Doo. Or rather, the lack of Scooby-Doo. The new spinoff will not have Scooby-Doo in the show at all! 

During a Q&A session, Showrunner Charly Gandy explained that they are aiming to break away from the family-friendly nature associated with the character of Scooby-Doo to achieve the maturity mentioned previously. 

Velma will be released in 2023, and whether it becomes a laughingstock of issues or a successful brand-new take on the mystery solving gang is yet to be determined. Either way, I have no doubt it will cause a huge splash when it releases.