Ready for some paws-itively adorkable news, Scooby-Doo fans? In the year 2022, over half a century since the show's conception, Velma Dinkley is officially confirmed to be a lesbian. The gang's delightfully nerdy brains of the outfit is finally able to step up and out to thunderous applause. The news is revealed in the brand-new animated movie Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo! in a precious scene that leaves Velma speechless - for once!
In a recently-released clip from a new Halloween special, the feature-length Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo!, Velma (voiced by Kate Micucci) finds herself face-to-face with famous costume designer, Coco Diablo (voiced by Myrna Velasco), the one responsible for a number of the villains the gang have unmasked. Instead of her usual self-confident composure, Velma is suddenly experiencing what's commonly known as "lesbian panic" in the clip. We see the inner workings of Dinkley's well-organized brain as she ticks off a list of admirable qualities, such as "obviously brilliant" and "loves animals!" Clearly, Velma is already planning their move-in, complete with the cats and cozy turtlenecks.
That's right, Scoob fans, Velma is now officially a lesbian! The clip has since gone viral across Twitter, with a legion of fans finally justified in their previously semi-confirmed suspicions. According to Variety, these rumors were never baseless theories, but were backed by screenwriter and filmmaker James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy), who wrote the cult favorite live-action films, as well as by the supervising producer for the Scooby Doo! Mystery Incorporated series Tony Cervone. Unfortunately, the creators were never allowed to make Velma's sexuality official, even though Daphne and Fred have had a flirtation going since the late '60s.
Reportedly, Gunn once tweeted that he'd attempted to make Velma's orientation as a lesbian canon for his live-action films featuring Linda Cardellini (Dead to Me) as the gang's bespectacled brain. The director was straight forward, saying, "In 2001 Velma was explicitly gay in my initial script, but the studio just kept watering it down & watering it down, becoming ambiguous (the version shot), then nothing (the released version) & finally having a boyfriend (the sequel)." So instead, we got Freddie Prinze Jr. as Fred, as Daphne, wholesomely declaring he'd be looking at Daphne's (Sarah Michelle Gellar) body naked. Of course, there was no outrage or watering down for that.
Then again, during Pride of 2020, Cervone made it abundantly clear on his Instagram that Velma's orientation wasn't ambiguous in Mystery Incorporated either, stating:
"I’ve said this before, but Velma in ‘Mystery Incorporated’ is not bi. She’s gay. We always planned on Velma acting a little off and out of character when she was dating Shaggy because that relationship was wrong for her and she had unspoken difficulty with the why. There are hints about the why in that episode with the mermaid, and if you follow the entire Marcie arc it seems as clear as we could make it 10 years ago. I don’t think Marcie and Velma had time to act on their feelings during the main timeline, but post reset, they are a couple. You can not like it, but this was our intention."
The Marcie he refers to is a character named Marcie Fleach, or "Hot Dog Water," voiced by none other than Cardellini! Marcie is a former rival-turned-friend of Velma's whose romantic relationship wasn't able to be explored. Finally, however, Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo! is able to let Velma be Velma. The holiday special features the vocal talents of Frank Welker, Grey Griffin and Matthew Lillard, who famously played Shaggy in Gunn's live-action movies. The story is written by Daniel McClellan, Laura Pollack and Audie Harrison who also serves as director.
Trick or Treat, Scooby-Doo! is available digitally on October 4, and will premiere on Cartoon Network October 14. Check out the clip from the movie below: