McKenna Grace has officially been cast as Daphne in Netflix’s upcoming live-action Scooby-Doo series, marking the first major casting announcement for the highly anticipated reboot.
Deadline confirmed that the actress — best known for roles in Ghostbusters: Afterlife, The Handmaid's Tale and Gifted — will portray the iconic redhead Daphne, a core member of Mystery Inc. Traditionally depicted as stylish but far more resourceful than she’s often given credit for, Daphne joins booksmart Velma, eternally hungry Shaggy and confident team leader Fred in solving supernatural mysteries alongside their beloved Great Dane, Scooby.
@mckennagrace Suited up cuz GB FROZEN EMPIRES OUT BABY #IamafraidofSOMEghosts ♬ Ghostbusters (from the "Ghostbusters" Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - Ray Parker Jr.
The eight-episode drama is being produced by Berlanti Productions, alongside Midnight Radio and Warner Bros. Television. The project was first confirmed to be in development last spring and will serve as a full origin story for the Mystery Inc gang — reintroducing the characters to a new generation while leaning into darker, more serialized storytelling.
The original Scooby-Doo series debuted in 1969 as Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! and quickly became a Saturday morning staple. Created by Joe Ruby and Ken Spears for Hanna-Barbera, the franchise followed four teenagers and their talking dog travelling from town to town in the Mystery Machine, unmasking villains who typically turned out to be humans in disguise rather than genuine ghosts or monsters. Over the decades, Scooby-Doo has spawned countless spin-offs, animated films and two major live-action theatrical releases in the early 2000s.
The new Netflix adaptation, however, appears to be taking a more character-driven and dramatic approach.
According to the official synopsis, the series will centre on the gang’s final summer at camp. “During their final summer at camp, old friends Shaggy and Daphne get embroiled in a haunting mystery surrounding a lonely lost Great Dane puppy that may have been a witness to a supernatural murder.” It continues: “Together with the pragmatic and scientific townie, Velma, and the strange, but ever so handsome new kid, Freddy, they set out to solve the case that is pulling each of them into a creepy nightmare that threatens to expose all of their secrets.”
Rather than launching straight into a fully formed Mystery Inc, the series will explore how the group first came together — including their first encounter with Scooby himself. The shift toward an origin narrative mirrors broader streaming trends, where reboots often deepen character backstories and raise the emotional stakes.
For Netflix, the project represents another major play in the nostalgia-driven reboot space. The streamer has found success reimagining legacy properties with darker or more serialized tones, appealing both to original fans and younger audiences discovering the characters for the first time.
Grace’s casting has already sparked discussion online. At just 19, she brings significant genre experience and a proven ability to balance emotional vulnerability with sharp comedic timing — qualities that could help redefine Daphne beyond the “danger-prone” stereotype sometimes associated with earlier portrayals. In more recent animated iterations, Daphne has increasingly been written as bold, witty and strategically sharp, suggesting the live-action version may lean into that evolution.
Other casting announcements for Velma, Shaggy and Fred are expected in the coming months, with production timelines yet to be officially confirmed.
More than five decades after its debut, Scooby-Doo remains one of the most recognisable animated franchises in television history. This reboot will test whether Mystery Inc can once again solve the mystery of staying culturally relevant — this time for a streaming-era audience.
