Netflix’s Live-Action ‘Scooby-Doo’ Series Casts McKenna Grace as Daphne — Here’s Everything Announced So Far
A live-action Scooby-Doo origin series is headed to Netflix, and the project already looks different from any previous version of the franchise. The first cast member was just confirmed, the creative team has deep roots in series-building, and the premise leans into darker, more serialized storytelling than the monster-of-the-week formula most viewers know.
Here’s what’s been announced and what remains unknown.
The Premise: Summer Camp, a Puppy and a ‘Supernatural Murder’
Netflix announced the series in March 2025, calling it a “modern reimagining” based on characters from Hanna-Barbera. The official description sets up the story: “old friends Shaggy and Daphne team up at summer camp with scientific townie Velma and the strange but handsome Fred to solve the mystery of a lonely lost Great Dane puppy — who may have witnessed a supernatural murder.”
This is an origin story. The gang is meeting for the first time. Scooby is still a puppy. The summer camp setting and “supernatural murder” framing suggest a tone that runs darker and more serialized than the episodic structure most people associate with Scooby-Doo.
McKenna Grace Takes on Daphne
On Feb. 17, McKenna Grace confirmed on Instagram that she’d been cast in the series. She shared a screenshot of a Deadline article alongside a childhood photo of herself dressed as Daphne.
“Oh my jeepers,” Grace wrote. “I can’t believe life is real I could cry all over again just looking at this announcement. So thankful, SO excited.”
Grace has a specific connection to this character. She previously voiced young Daphne in the 2020 animated film Scoob!, making this a return to the role in a completely different format.
Her recent credits include Regretting You and Five Nights at Freddy’s 2. She is also set to appear in Scream 7 and The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping as Maysilee Donner. That roster of upcoming projects puts Grace at the center of several major franchise properties at once, which gives some indication of where Netflix is aiming with this casting.
Casting for Shaggy, Velma and Fred has not yet been announced.
Who’s Producing
The series is executive produced by Scott Rosenberg and Josh Appelbaum, along with Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Leigh London Redman (via Berlanti Productions), and André Nemec and Jeff Pinkner (via Midnight Radio). The project stems from Berlanti Productions’ overall deal with Warner Bros. Television.
Berlanti addressed the project’s origins in an interview with Netflix’s Tudum: “One of my first and favorite jobs in Hollywood was sitting with Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera while they signed animation cels. Josh and Scott and everyone at Midnight Radio have crafted a story that captures their amazing spirits and their genius creation. We are grateful to them and everyone at Warner and Netflix for the partnership in helping bring this iteration of Scooby-Doo to life!”
Berlanti Productions has a track record of building multi-season series adaptations of existing IP, and that overall deal with Warner Bros. Television gives the project a built-in production infrastructure.
What We Still Don’t Know
No premiere date has been announced. The casting rollout appears to still be in early stages, with only Grace confirmed publicly. The tone — specifically how the “supernatural murder” storyline plays out across a full season — is something viewers will have to wait to see.
Production of this article included the use of AI. It was reviewed and edited by a team of content specialists.
This story was originally published February 24, 2026 at 9:38 AM.
