Netflix slammed over live-action Scooby-Doo reboot as streaming giant accused of ruining beloved franchise
Netflix is no stranger to rebooting beloved IPs, with the likes of The Addams Family, She-Ra, and even the Teletubbies getting a fresh lick of paint from the streaming giant.
Now, another nostalgic piece of our childhoods is being retooled for the modern age, with Scooby-Doo finding a new home.
Scooby-Doo has rarely been off our screens since Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! debuted in 1969, and over the years, we've had everything from Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island to the divisive and adult-themed Velma TV series.
For many, it's the noughties live-action movies that live rent-free in our heads. Written by James Gunn and starring Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, Matthew Lillard, and Linda Cardellini, the 2002 original and 2004's Monsters Unleashed have developed a cult following.
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Instead of giving us a third instalment in this franchise, Netflix is powering ahead with Scooby-Doo: Origins. As the name suggests, this is an origin story for the crime-solving mutt. McKenna Grace continues her streak of appearing in everything as she leads the human cast as Daphne Blake, while long-running Scoob voice actor Frank Welker plays the nervy Great Dane for the streaming service.
Netflix has given us a first look at the titular Scooby-Doo, and safe to say, there's been uproar.
Scooby-Doo: Origins didn't exactly keep it a secret that this was an origin story, but that's fallen on deaf ears as fans are unimpressed with Scooby as a puppy.
One disgruntled onlooker wrote: "Classic Netflix, ruining characters and calling it an adaptation."
— David Opie (@DavidOpie) June 8, 2026
Another added: "Ruh Roh! Not even 1000 Scooby Snacks will help this series... Like, come on! That dog is not even a Great Dane🥺."
Even Elon Musk's Grok got involved when someone asked if this was Scooby. The sassy chatbot replied: "You're right, that's not Scooby. Classic Scooby is a lanky Great Dane with black spots and a blue collar.
“This is a cute solid-brown pup in a teal one. Netflix's new live-action ‘Scooby-Doo: Origins’ (2027) is using a real dog for the first time. Bold choice, but the resemblance is thin. CGI might save it. 🐾."
Others saw the funny side, with someone else joking: "Can’t believe they didn’t get an actual talking Great Dane woke Netflix strikes again with their agenda."
Netflix is powering ahead regardless, and in a show description, reiterated: "For more than 50 years, Scooby-Doo has been a pop-culture powerhouse. The franchise has spawned three theatrical films, more than a dozen animated series, and nearly 40 animated home entertainment movies. But Scooby-Doo: Origins marks the first time Scooby-Doo will appear as a real dog. Can we get a round of a-paws for the new pup?"
Greg Berlanti serves as an executive producer on Scooby-Doo: Origins, and remembering his previous work on The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, he's already done this kind of gritty adaptation. The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina received similar backlash at the start, but as it grew in popularity as the series went on, Scooby-Doo: Origins could do the same.
While we've got to applaud Netflix for giving us the first Scooby-Doo adaptation with an actual dog, and although it's clear many aren't convinced, that is a real Great Dane puppy on the set.