Mark Hamill is taking on another major animated character, but this time he is returning to a franchise he already knows from a very different perspective. Disney has officially greenlit a new Darkwing Duck animated series for Disney+, with Hamill voicing Drake Mallard, the superhero better known as Darkwing Duck.
Disney announced the series on September 22, 2026, alongside a teaser and the first confirmed voice cast. Seth Rogen will voice Launchpad McQuack, Lizzy Caplan will play Gosalyn Mallard and Lilimar will introduce a new character named Duckie. The announcement marks another reinvention for a character whose voice history stretches back to the original 1991 series and more recently through the 2017 DuckTales revival.
Hamill’s casting is particularly notable because this is not his first trip to St. Canard. Long before becoming Darkwing himself, he was one of the villains opposing him.
Mark Hamill Goes From Darkwing Villain to Darkwing Duck
Hamill’s history with Darkwing Duck dates back to the original series, where he voiced Taurus Bulba, the powerful criminal mastermind introduced in the two-part premiere story “Darkly Dawns the Duck.” The character became one of Darkwing’s recurring enemies, giving Hamill an established connection with the franchise decades before Disney considered him for its title role.
Taurus Bulba eventually returned in the 2017 DuckTales series, and Hamill once again provided his voice. The new production therefore creates an unusual progression. Hamill has gone from playing one of Darkwing Duck’s adversaries to becoming Drake Mallard himself.
It is also another significant animation role in a voice acting career that has developed almost in parallel with Hamill’s live-action work. His performance as the Joker, beginning with Batman: The Animated Series, became one of his defining roles, followed by extensive work across animated television, films and video games. His credits have also included Fire Lord Ozai in Avatar: The Last Airbender, Skips in Regular Show and numerous characters across the Star Wars universe. While character reels emphasize this kind of range, commercial voiceover demos serve a different purpose, showcasing how performers adapt their voices to advertising, branded content and other commercial work.
Darkwing gives Hamill something different. Rather than another villain or supporting character, he is becoming the central voice of a franchise whose previous performers already established very different interpretations of Drake Mallard.
Darkwing Duck Has a New Voice Again
For decades, Darkwing Duck was inseparable from Jim Cummings. Cummings originated both Drake Mallard and his superhero identity when the original series premiered in 1991 and voiced the character throughout its 91-episode run. His performance established Darkwing’s combination of theatrical superhero confidence, ego, comedy and genuine affection for his adopted daughter Gosalyn.
The 2017 DuckTales series eventually found a creative way to introduce another Darkwing without completely erasing that history. Cummings initially voiced Jim Starling, an actor who had played Darkwing Duck within the show’s fictional universe. Chris Diamantopoulos played Drake Mallard, an actor and Darkwing fan who ultimately became the real superhero. That allowed the revival to acknowledge Cummings’ performance while establishing a different version of the character.
The newly announced Disney+ series is taking another route. Disney describes it as an “all-new” continuation of the franchise, and original creator Tad Stones consulted on its development. Its premise places Darkwing in an alternate world where nobody has heard of his superhero exploits for 35 years. A rebellious teenager named Duckie eventually arrives with knowledge of his past and pushes the forgotten crime fighter back into action.
That setup allows Hamill to inherit the character without simply recreating either Cummings’ original Darkwing or Diamantopoulos’ DuckTales interpretation.
Seth Rogen and Lizzy Caplan Join St. Canard
Hamill is joined by a cast that also replaces several voices closely associated with the franchise. Seth Rogen will play Launchpad McQuack, while Lizzy Caplan takes over as Gosalyn Mallard.
Launchpad has an especially long voice history because the character predates Darkwing Duck. Terry McGovern originated Launchpad in the original DuckTales before continuing with the character when he became Darkwing’s sidekick. Beck Bennett later voiced Launchpad throughout the 2017 DuckTales revival. Rogen now becomes the latest performer to interpret the enthusiastic but accident-prone pilot.
Gosalyn was originally voiced by Christine Cavanaugh, whose wider animation career included Chuckie Finster in Rugrats and the title character in Babe. Stephanie Beatriz later voiced Gosalyn in the DuckTales revival. Caplan now inherits the character as Disney brings Darkwing’s adopted daughter back into his life.
The three lead casting choices therefore represent a substantial vocal reset. Hamill, Rogen and Caplan are not being asked to reproduce the original performers but to establish another interpretation of a trio whose relationships were central to the original show.
A New Generation Joins the Darkwing Duck Cast
Disney has also revealed a larger ensemble combining established performers with several new characters.
Lilimar voices Duckie, the rebellious teenager who knows about Darkwing’s forgotten superhero past and becomes responsible for pulling him back into action. The character appears to be particularly important to the new premise, serving as a connection between the Darkwing who remembers his former adventures and a world that does not.
Dan Stevens joins the cast as Glade McTowers, while Tiffany Shepis voices Rosa. Kathryn Newton plays Firecracker, Teo Briones voices Timb and Tyler Dean Flores plays Pondsy. Katie Rich and Nat Faxon round out the currently announced ensemble as Officer Shanks and Officer Webb.
The production is also bringing back familiar characters whose new performers have not yet been revealed. Disney’s announcement specifically names Negaduck and Megavolt among the enemies Darkwing and Duckie will encounter, while Morgana will return alongside Launchpad and Gosalyn. Additional casting announcements are therefore likely as the series moves further into production.
The mixture of established characters and newcomers gives the new series room to revisit Darkwing’s existing world without relying entirely on nostalgia. It also leaves several particularly interesting voice roles still open, especially given how closely characters such as Negaduck and Megavolt are associated with performances from earlier versions.
Darkwing Duck Returns 35 Years After the Original
The original Darkwing Duck arrived in 1991 during the Disney Afternoon era. Created by Tad Stones, the series followed Drake Mallard as he balanced his elaborate superhero persona with life as Gosalyn’s adoptive father. Launchpad served as his pilot and sidekick, while a large rogues’ gallery gave the show its own identity despite its connections to DuckTales.
The series ultimately ran for 91 episodes. Disney Channel carried the original show before episodes also aired on ABC and in syndication. Its characters subsequently appeared in comics and video games, while the original television series remained the foundation for Darkwing’s later revivals.
The 2017 DuckTales eventually brought Darkwing and several characters from his world into its continuity, but the newly announced series is taking a different approach rather than simply spinning that version into its own program. Disney’s premise uses the real-world passage of 35 years as part of the story itself, placing Darkwing in a universe that has somehow forgotten him.
Stones has described the new production as another reinterpretation of the character, comparing Darkwing to heroes such as Robin Hood, Zorro and Sherlock Holmes whose stories have been repeatedly reworked by different creators. Sean Tretta and Borja Peña Gorostegui are executive producers, with Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, Alex McAtee and Gabby Grantham producing through Point Grey Pictures. Disney Television Animation is producing the series.
Disney+ Has Not Announced a Darkwing Duck Premiere Date
The September 22 announcement confirmed that the new Darkwing Duck is being produced for Disney+, but Disney has not yet provided a premiere date or release window.
For now, the voice cast offers the clearest indication of how extensively the franchise is being reinvented. Hamill, Rogen and Caplan are stepping into roles that have accumulated more than three decades of voice acting history, while Lilimar and the rest of the newly announced ensemble are expanding St. Canard with characters created specifically for this version.
Hamill’s casting provides the strongest link between those eras. In 1991, audiences heard him as one of the villains standing in Darkwing Duck’s way. Thirty-five years later, the same actor is returning to the franchise from the opposite side of the fight, this time as the terror that flaps in the night himself.
