The Mystery Machine is officially loading up. Netflix has announced the first major cast member for its highly anticipated live-action Scooby-Doo series, with McKenna Grace set to play a young Daphne Blake. The eight-episode show, reportedly titled Scooby-Doo: Origins, will explore how the iconic mystery-solving gang first came together during a fateful summer at camp.
Forget the goofy cartoon antics of Saturday mornings. This iteration promises something different. The official logline teases a “modern reimagining” with genuine stakes: old friends Shaggy and Daphne, during their final summer at Camp Ruby-Spears, stumble into a haunting mystery involving a lonely Great Dane puppy who may have witnessed a supernatural murder.
They’re soon joined by Velma, described as a “pragmatic and scientific townie,” and Freddy, the “strange but ever so handsome new kid.” Together, they set out to solve a case that pulls each of them into a “creepy nightmare that threatens to expose all of their secrets”.
The tone is reportedly drawing inspiration from Stranger Things, blending supernatural suspense with emotional storytelling while maintaining the adventurous spirit fans expect.
The 19-year-old actress confirmed her casting on Instagram February 17 with an emotional post: “Oh my jeepers 💜 I can’t believe life is real I could cry all over again”. The role feels like destiny, Grace previously voiced a young Daphne in the 2020 animated film Scoob! and even posted a childhood photo of herself dressed as the character alongside the announcement.
Grace brings serious genre credentials to the project. Her resume includes The Haunting of Hill House, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, The Handmaid’s Tale, and upcoming roles in Scream 7 and The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.
The series comes from showrunners Josh Appelbaum and Scott Rosenberg, working under their Midnight Radio banner. Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, and Leigh London Redman serve as executive producers through Berlanti Productions, with Warner Bros. Television producing.
Veteran voice actor Frank Welker, who has voiced Scooby-Doo since 2002, is expected to reprise his role as the beloved Great Dane.
Recent reports suggest the cast may grow soon. Emmy winner Paul Walter Hauser is reportedly in conversations to join the series as Scooby’s “original owner,” a role that could add unexpected layers to the franchise’s long history. Different animated projects have presented their own versions of how Shaggy and Scooby first met, the introduction of a prior owner suggests writers are exploring fresh territory.
Cameras are set to roll in late April 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia, with filming continuing through September. The eight-episode first season is expected to debut on Netflix sometime in 2027 .
This marks Scooby-Doo’s first-ever live-action television series, following decades of animated iterations and the early 2000s live-action films starring Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, Matthew Lillard, and Linda Cardellini. A 2009 TV movie, Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins, also offered a live-action origin story, but this marks the first full series commitment.
