Matthew Lillard Hopes Netflix's Scooby-Doo Upholds Its Core Story

3 days ago 4

The live-action versions of Daphne, Velma, Shaggy, and Fred in 2002's Scooby-Doo.

Published Jan 31, 2026, 9:55 PM EST

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Matthew Lillard, best known to many fans as the live-action Shaggy, is weighing in on Netflix’s upcoming Scooby-Doo TV reboot.

The actor seemed optimistic about relaunching the classic comedy mystery franchise. During an interview with Entertainment Weekly while promoting Scream 7, Lillard shared how he feels about Netflix taking a swing at remaking the series and what he hopes the streamer will do to keep the spirit of Scooby-Doo alive.

Lillard said that he was happy that Netflix is bringing back Scooby-Doo. He explained how he believed the franchise needed a revival, so the current generation of viewers could experience it. The actor added that he really hopes that Netflix stays true to the heart of Scooby-Doo and what made it so special. He revealed that, to him, the core message of the show and movies was about the importance of friendship. And, as long as Netflix follows the old formula, the series should be fine.

He also expressed how it should be catered towards children like the original cartoon was. Lillard said that it would be a good way to introduce kids to ghost stories by giving them something that's only semi-scary. The actor mentioned that Scooby-Doo cartoons could also give parents a creative way to teach their children about stranger danger because the culprits always end up being a bad guy hiding behind a mask.

My general thought is that I'm really happy for them. I think that the show needs to come back. We haven't done an animated series now in years, which I think is horrible. I think that it's a great way for kids to understand storytelling. It's the first introduction to ghost stories for a lot of kids, right? It's about friendship and sticking together as a gang and working together to solve mysteries — and that normally it's a dangerous white man behind a mask. These are the things that kids have to learn.

I think that having it back is good. My hope is that they hold onto what's tried and true and take their hack at it. But the reality is that I'm sort of a purist when it comes to that franchise. The core of it is really about friendship. It's really lovely, and I hope that they hold onto that.

Lillard played Shaggy in the live-action films Scooby-Doo and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed. He starred alongside Sarah Michelle Gellar (Daphne), Freddie Prinze Jr (Fred), and Linda Cardellini (Velma), and Neil Fanning (the voice of Scooby-Doo). The original cartoon the movies were based on debuted in 1969 and ran for many years, becoming one of the most iconic children's TV shows of its time, with many spin-offs and reboots throughout the decades.

Netflix first announced its relaunch of Scooby-Doo in March 2025. Production for the series is expected to begin in April 2026. The upcoming show will reportedly give the gang a new origin story and take place during their last summer at camp. The cast of the reboot has not been revealed yet.

There is no confirmed release date for Netflix's Scooby-Doo at the time of this article's publication.