TV fans are livid over live-action Scooby-Doo dog: ‘Childhood ruined’

Netflix fans are fearing the worst after a first look at the new live-action Scooby-Doo adaptation.

Set to land on the streaming platform in 2027, Scooby-Doo: Origins is a modern reimagining of the decades-old mystery-solving franchise we know and love.

Created by Josh Appelbaum and Scott Rosenberg, the upcoming eight-parter will follow teenagers Daphne Blake, Shaggy Rogers, Velma Dinkley, and Fred Jones as they attempt to solve a supernatural murder… one that may have been witnessed by a Great Dane puppy.

That puppy, of course, is the loveable Scooby, voiced by one of the most prolific voice actors in history, Frank Welker, who is no stranger to providing the pooch’s rhotic speech and catchphrases.

It’s not Scooby’s voice fans are already disapproving of, though – it’s how he looks.

This afternoon, Netflix released a short clip to give fans a taster of what’s to come, unveiling the Shaggy actor Tanner Hagen in action.

The lively 22-second preview begins from a dog’s point of view, including the sound of panting, growling, and the occasional bark in a woodland setting.

As suspenseful music builds, the tone shifts and Scooby adorably jumps up into Shaggy’s arms, licking his face.

While only a short clip, it’s already very much a representation of the unconditional love Shaggy and Scooby have for one another, as the teen smiles while ‘Scoob’ snuggles into him.

And young Shaggy certainly looks the part in a green striped jumper and with a brunette mop atop his head.

Scooby, on the other hand, hasn’t made a strong first impression, with social media critics claiming the four-legged pal looks more like a chocolate Labrador than his actual breed.

Taking to X after watching the teaser, @Trynith_Nebula declared that is ‘#NotMyScoobyDoo’, while @cremescene_ quipped: ‘Nah they can’t be serious’.

‘Do they not know that Scooby is a specific dog breed and not just any brown dog’, asked @RoderickRoddley, with @SoftPlatypus23 attempting to give Netflix the benefit of the doubt: ‘Netflix was so close to making this a good adaptation. That is not Scooby. I hope that this is just a flashback to when they first met.’

Raging, @agwuoba8270 said Netflix just ‘broke [their] childhood’,

Fans have also criticised the lack of ‘expression’, as @SaparkyPiratebro called the on-screen dog ‘lifeless’.

‘That dog would not eat a sandwich’, @Skallywag_again joked in reference to Scooby’s appetite.

Not all the feedback was negative, though, as others fawned over how ‘adorable’ the dog looked and were ‘excited’ for the nostalgia hit.

‘Okay I’m seated’, @DannyWxo wrote.

@KevinReed233 added: ‘This looks cool I don’t know why everyone is so upset’.

But it’s safe to say that the consensus is ‘nothing will beat’ the live-action versions of Scooby-Doo from the 2000s.

Directed by Raja Gosnell, Scooby-Doo: The Movie hit cinemas in 2002 with an ensemble cast comprising Freddie Prinze Jr. as Fred, Sarah Michelle Gellar as Daphne, Matthew Lillard as Shaggy, and Linda Cardellini as Velma.

Released by Warner Bros., it became a commercial success, grossing $275million (£206m) against an $84m (£63m) budget, later gaining a cult following, along with the 2004 follow-up, Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed – not to mention Prinze and Gellar, who met while filming 1997 slasher I Know What You Did Last Summer, are still married to this day.

In the years since, Scooby-Doo has been adapted in other ways.

What began as an animated series in 1969 went on to spawn numerous hugely popular spin-offs, the most recent being the 2023 series Velma, which gave the brainbox her own moment to shine.

Stepping into the characters’ iconic outfits this time alongside Hagen are Maxwell Jenkins (Fred), Mckenna Grace (Daphne), and Abby Ryder Fortson (Velma).

The cast also includes Paul Walter Hauser in a secret role.

Scooby-Doo: Origins will land on Netflix in 2027.

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