Scooby-Doo fans rejoice as new Halloween film portrays Velma as lesbian after years of sexual ambiguity

Scooby-Doo‘s Velma Dinkley has been confirmed as being part of the LGBTQ+ community, after years of speculation about her sexuality without a clear depiction in the cartoon franchise.

A trailer for new film ‘Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo!’ shows “brainiac” Velma, who is voiced by actor and comedian Kate Micucci, forming a crush on another female character called Coco Diablo.

The interaction happens as the Mystery Incorporated gang “spring into action” to uncover doppelganger ghosts who are reeking havoc before Halloween.

Rejoicing on Twitter, one person wrote: “OMG lesbian Velma finally canon canon in the movies, let’s go!”

“Velma getting her lesbian debut five decades later, thank you,” another commented.

A third tweeted that fandom had “finally won” after campaigning for for Velma’s queerness to be showed explicity on screen by the Warner Bros Incorporated in all of the spin-offs.

There has been an ongoing debate surrounding Velma’s sexularity since Scooby-Doo first aired in 1969. Ahead of the new movie premiering on Cartoon Network on 14 October, the beloved character can be seen blushing and saying “jinkies” when she meets the fashion designer in the trailer as well as having deep chats with Daphne.

Despite the excitement over Velma finally acting upon her sexuality by flirting with another girl, producers of Scooby-Doo have said that there is “no new news” about Velma’s sexuality.

Scooby-Doo Mystery Incorporated’s Producer Tony Cervone said on Instagram that he put Easter eggs in his cartoon series that showed Velma as queer, between 2010 and 2013.

He said: “Marcie and Velma - Mystery Incorporated. I obviously don’t represent every version of Velma Dinkley, but I am one of the key people that represents this one.

“We made our intentions as clear as we could ten years ago. Most of our fans got it. To those that didn’t, I suggest you look closer. There’s no new news here.”

Equally, James Gunn revealed in 2020 (in a since-deleted Twitter exchange) that he had pushed for Velma to be shown as a lesbian in his 2002 live-action depiction by writing it in his script.

He said the idea was shut down by the studio who cut scenes from the final release, including Velma serenading Daphne.

Matthew Lillard and Frank Welker are set to return to the Scooby-Doo franchise after appearing in the 2002 movie, by voicing Shaggy and Scooby/Fred respectively in Trick or Treat Scooby Doo!

Actress Hayley Kiyoko who played Velma Dinkley in 2008 for one of the live action remakes, has also shared her opinion about the latest portrayal of the beloved character.

Posting on Twitter, Hayley said: “I remember booking Velma in 2008. It was my first big role in a movie. I also remember thinking ‘I wonder if they know they hired a lesbian as Velma’ here we are 14 years later. Love you all so much.”

You can see Velma Dinkley and the rest of the mystery-solving gang in Trick or Treat Scooby Doo on Cartoon Network on 14 October.