Velma Dinkley is now officially lesbian in the newest clip from Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo! movie. The character’s sexual orientation has been an open secret among several fans and the team behind Scooby-Doo. James Gunn, director of the Guardians of the Galaxy films, wrote the script for the live-action movie in the early 2000s, but Velma’s orientation was not made official on screen.
Fans React To Velma As Officially Lesbian In Scooby-Doo! Movie
Gunn revealed that he tried to make Velma lesbian in the live-action adaptation, but the studio kept ignoring it until the character was finally portrayed as straight.
“In 2001 Velma was explicitly gay in my initial script but the studio just kept watering it down & watering it down, becoming ambiguous (the version shot), then nothing (the released version) & finally having a boyfriend (the sequel),” tweeted Gunn.
Now that Velma is finally joining the league of LGBTQ characters on screen, fans are rejoicing. Here are some of the fans’ reactions on Twitter:
This has become a momentous event for the community, as evident in several positive posts on social media platforms. Some even commented about the movie’s animation where Velma blushes, and her eyeglasses fogging up just give off a different feeling.
It’s Been A Long Time Coming For Velma’s Fans
For years, Velma has been a character watered down to fit what is deemed accepted by the general viewers, but most especially because Scooby-Doo movies are targeted toward young audiences. This canonization of Velma as a lesbian also comes as HBO Max is scheduled to release an adult animated show about the character.
Tony Cervone, the supervising producer of the Mystery Incorporated series, wrote to Instagram:
“I’ve said this before, but Velma in ‘Mystery Incorporated’ is not bi. She’s gay. We always planned on Velma acting a little off and out of character when she was dating Shaggy because that relationship was wrong for her and she had unspoken difficulty with the why. There are hints about the why in that episode with the mermaid, and if you follow the entire Marcie arc it seems as clear as we could make it 10 years ago. I don’t think Marcie and Velma had time to act on their feelings during the main timeline, but post reset, they are a couple. You cannot like it, but this was our intention.”
After decades-long of speculation among fans, Velma is now part of a community that aims to be inclusive and accepting of people’s sexuality. For some fans, it is a power move, and “she willed it into existence.”
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Source: Variety