This week has been a huge one for Velma Dinkley, the brainiest member of Scooby-Mystery Doo Incorporated. After much speculation and knowledge sharing between fans, the character’s sexual orientation has finally been confirmed as a lesbian. Fans of Velma have an additional reason to rejoice after the release of a clip for Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo, the newest animated entry in the Scooby-Doo world. That’s because the first image from the spinoff series based on Velma, also named Velma, has finally arrived. The snapshot gives away a lot of information about the upcoming animated film, including the fact that Mindy Kaling will be providing the voice of the lead character.
The show’s banner boasts the tagline, “It’s the enigma before the inc.,” implying that this will be the backstory of the team’s real MVP. The title is designed in a scary typeface that is consistent with the franchise, and Velma’s trademark spectacles are prominently displayed on the poster, smeared with blood. A shadowy figure with a knife lurks behind broken glasses, making us fear for the protagonist’s safety even if we have faith in her cunning and experience. According to HBO Max, the adult animated series will depict the origin tale of the “unsung and underappreciated brains of the Scooby-Doo Mystery Inc. crew” and was revealed back in February.
Velma “[unmask] the rich and colourful background of one of America’s most popular mystery solvers,” promising an equal amount of terrifying and funny moments. It’s not known if the series will centre around Velma alone or introduce new characters to the Scooby-Doo canon as well. Kaling will not only play the role of the orange turtleneck woman but also produce the show. She’ll have company in the form of Charlie Grandy and Howard Klein, as well as Sam Register (Batman: The Killing Joke). Kaling, Grandy, and Klein will all be reuniting for Velma since they all previously worked together when Kaling starred as Kelly Kapoor on The Office.
The first season will consist of ten episodes, which is known, however, a premiere date or other casting announcements have not yet been disclosed.