Darkwing Duck Returns in New Disney+ Animated Series With Mark Hamill Leading the Cast

The terror that flaps in the night is getting dangerous again. Disney+ has greenlit an all-new Darkwing Duck animated series that brings Drake Mallard back for a continuation with a fresh creative team, a new young ally and several familiar names from his old crime-fighting life.

The new series finds Darkwing in an especially uncomfortable position. For 35 years, Drake Mallard has been trapped in an alternate world where nobody knows he was once the heroic Darkwing Duck. That changes when Duckie, a rebellious teenager who knows all about his past, arrives to pull the self-important vigilante back into action.

Their unlikely partnership sends Darkwing up against old enemies including Negaduck and Megavolt, while reuniting him with allies Launchpad, Gosalyn and Morgana in a mission to save the universe. It is a premise that gives the revival room to honor the original’s superhero spoof energy without simply replaying its early-1990s adventures beat for beat.

Mark Hamill Leads the New Darkwing Duck Cast

Mark Hamill will voice Drake Mallard, also known as Darkwing Duck, putting one of animation’s most recognizable voice performers at the center of the new show. Hamill’s work as the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series makes him an especially intriguing fit for a character who lives somewhere between masked hero, comedy engine and his own most devoted fan.

He is joined by Seth Rogen as Launchpad McQuack, Lizzy Caplan as Gosalyn Mallard and Lilimar as Duckie. The lead ensemble also includes Dan Stevens as Glade McTowers, Tiffany Shepis as Rosa, Kathryn Newton as Firecracker, Teo Briones as Timb, Tyler Dean Flores as Pondsy, Katie Rich as Officer Shanks and Nat Faxon as Officer Webb.

That cast immediately signals that this will be a new chapter rather than a straight recreation. Duckie’s arrival gives Drake a fan who knows the legend he is desperate to reclaim, while Launchpad, Gosalyn and Morgana keep the new series connected to the family and friends who made the original world feel bigger than one masked duck.

The Creative Team Behind the Revival

Sean Tretta, whose credits include Star Trek: Picard, and Borja Peña Gorostegui, of Lost & Crowned, will executive produce the series. Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, Alex McAtee and Gabby Grantham are producing for Point Grey Pictures.

Original Darkwing Duck creator Tad Stones consulted on the development of the new adventures. In a statement, Stones said the new creative team has expanded the action and comedy while retaining the Disney heart of the character, describing Darkwing as part of a long tradition of heroes whose stories can be reinterpreted for new eras and relationships.

That involvement is a reassuring bridge for longtime fans. The new series is clearly taking a high-concept swing with its alternate-world setup, but it has direct access to the person who helped establish what made Darkwing’s mixture of noirish swagger, broad comedy and genuine heart work in the first place.

A Disney Afternoon Favorite Comes Back

The original Emmy-nominated Darkwing Duck ran for 91 episodes after premiering on Disney Channel before continuing on ABC and in syndication. Its first run began in 1991 and its syndication run wrapped in 1995, turning Drake Mallard, Launchpad McQuack, Gosalyn and the St. Canard rogues’ gallery into enduring Disney Afternoon favorites.

The character has remained part of Disney’s animation history through video games, comics and appearances in the recent DuckTales iteration. That makes this greenlight feel less like a random nostalgia pull than an overdue opportunity to give Darkwing an actual new on-screen adventure of his own.

Disney+ has not announced a premiere date, episode count or first-look trailer for the new series. For now, viewers can revisit the original Darkwing Duck series on Disney+ and catch the recent DuckTales series, which helped reintroduce the character to a newer generation.