Netflix is officially heading back to Coolsville with a live-action “Scooby-Doo” series that promises to take fans back to where it all began. Variety was the first to report that Mckenna Grace has been tapped to lead the gang as a young Daphne Blake, a role that delves into the origins of how the iconic group first met. Produced by Berlanti Productions and spearheaded by writers Josh Appelbaum and Scott Rosenberg, the eight-episode season will serve as a modern reimagining of the classic Hanna-Barbera characters we know and love.
From Ghostbuster to Mystery-Solver: Who is Mckenna Grace?
If Mckenna Grace looks familiar, it’s because she has spent the last decade establishing herself as one of the most prolific actors of her generation. Grace is no stranger to major franchises; she led the “Ghostbusters” revival as the brainy Phoebe Spengler in both “Afterlife” and “Frozen Empire.” Her casting as Daphne Blake brings her career full circle in a meta-textual way, as she previously provided the voice for the very same character in the 2020 animated film “Scoob!”
Beyond her work with supernatural entities, Grace has earned critical acclaim for her old soul performances in heavy-hitting dramas. She received a Critics’ Choice nomination for her breakout role in “Gifted” (starring alongside Chris Evans) and made history as the youngest nominee for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her haunting performance in “The Handmaid’s Tale.”
The “Scooby-Doo” live-action iteration, which officially entered production in 2025 under the guidance of TV titan Greg Berlanti, is shaping up to be a more grounded look at the gang’s high school beginnings. With principal photography slated to begin in early 2026, the series is expected to explore the social dynamics and individual backgrounds of the group before they became a well-oiled mystery machine.
For Grace, this marks another significant step into the leading-lady spotlight. Between her upcoming roles in “Scream 7” and “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping,” her schedule is packed, but her commitment to the Mystery Machine suggests that Netflix’s “Scooby-Doo” is aiming for a high-caliber reimagining of the classic Saturday morning cartoon.