Star Wars legend confirmed for reboot of beloved '90s series - plus Downton Abbey star joins cast

35 years after the original series aired, Disney+ has greenlit an all-new Darkwing Duck animated show - and it boasts a star-studded cast.

The original show, which debuted in 1991, followed the adventures of the titular character - a crime-fighting superhero alter ego of Drake Mallard.

The new series will pick up with Darkwing Duck who, for the last 35 years, "has been trapped in his worst nightmare: an alternate world that’s never heard of his superhero exploits", according to the official synopsis.

But that all changes when a rebellious teen named Duckie who knows all about his heroic past arrives and pulls Darkwing back into action.

Together, the duo will fight old enemies like Negaduck and Megavolt and reunite with allies Launchpad, Gosalyn and Morgana to save the entire universe.

Star Wars actor Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker in the original trilogy, will take on the role of the title character - a part originally voiced by Jim Cummings.

Meanwhile, Seth Rogen (The Studio) will voice Launchpad McQuack, Lizzy Caplan (Far Cry) will voice Gosalyn Mallard and Lilimar (Inside Out 2) will take on the part of Duckie.

Also starring are Dan Stevens (Downton Abbey) as Glade McTowers, Tiffany Shepis (Star Trek: Picard) as Rosa, Kathryn Newton (Avengers: Doomsday) as Firecracker, Teo Briones (Final Destination Bloodlines) as Timb, Tyler Dean Flores (Neon) as Pondsy, Katie Rich (Saturday Night Live) as Officer Shanks and Nat Faxon (The Descendants) as Officer Webb.

The new series coming to our screens from Sean Tretta (Star Trek: Picard) and Borja Peña Gorostegui (Lost & Crowned), who also serve as executive producers, while Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, Alex McAtee and Gabby Grantham are producing for Point Grey Pictures. Original series creator Tad Stones also consulted on the new series.

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"Disney said ‘Let’s get dangerous and we said ‘hell yeah,’" Point Grey Pictures said in a statement.

Stones added: "Like every other fan of the original show, I’m excited to see Darkwing getting dangerous again in a whole new series. The new creative team has certainly amped up the action and comedy without forgetting the Disney heart.

"This series places DW in the literary tradition of Robin Hood, Zorro, and Sherlock Holmes, heroes whose lore has been reinterpreted by multiple creators in multiple mediums. They explored the core of those characters by tossing them into new eras, new relationships, and even new universes. No matter when or where, Darkwing Duck will appear in a cloud of blue smoke to grab the spotlight."

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Darkwing Duck ran for 91 episodes, originally premiering on Disney Channel, before airing on ABC and in syndication beginning in 1991.

The series has also spawned numerous video games, while the character appeared in the Disney Afternoon Fun-Filled 1st Issue! comic book in 1994. More recently, the character appeared in the latest version of DuckTales.

Darkwing Duck is coming soon to Disney+.

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