Shaggy star reacts to Netflix's upcoming 'Scooby-Doo' show

A live-action origin series on Scooby-Doo is in the works. Matthew Lillard, who played Shaggy in the two Mystery Inc. films, has shared his opinion on the forthcoming show.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the actor says, “My general thought is that I’m really happy for them. I think that the show needs to come back.“

He further continues, "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."

Lillard also points out the bond the fans shared with the franchise, stating, "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.”

Regarding the Netflix live-action series, he says, as a purist, he wants to avoid reinventing the story too much because it would betray what the franchise represents.

“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.”

In the meantime, the Scooby-Doo series will begin shooting in April 2026.