Mark Hamill is heading back to Disney+ with another major role, but fans won't find him stepping back into the familiar world of Luke Skywalker this time.
The longtime Star Wars actor has spent decades connected to one of the biggest franchises in entertainment.
Now, Disney has handed Hamill the leading role in a sequel that brings back a character audiences haven't seen leading his own series in more than three decades.
Disney Brings Back a Cult Classic
Disney has officially given the green light to a new Darkwing Duck series for Disney+, with Hamill voicing Drake Mallard, the superhero better known as Darkwing Duck.
The announcement comes years after reports first surfaced about the project's development in 2020. Rather than completely starting over, Disney is continuing the story established by the original series.
That show produced 91 episodes released across 1991 and 1992. Decades later, Disney is finally moving Darkwing's story forward with a new adventure.
This time, however, Darkwing finds himself in a very different world.
Disney's premise reveals that the hero has spent 35 years trapped in an alternate reality where people have never heard about his past superhero exploits. That changes when a rebellious teenager named Duckie enters his life.
Duckie knows Darkwing's history and pulls the ego-driven vigilante back into action. Their adventure will bring Darkwing face-to-face with familiar villains, including Negaduck and Megavolt.
He'll also reunite with Launchpad, Gosalyn, and Morgana as they attempt to save the universe.
Mark Hamill Takes the Spotlight
Hamill's arrival marks a major change for the character.
Jim Cummings provided Darkwing's voice in the original series. Chris Diamantopoulos later took on the role for the 2017 DuckTales series.
Cummings previously revealed that Disney intended to recast Darkwing for the upcoming project. We now know Hamill will be the actor stepping behind the mask.
While Luke Skywalker remains Hamill's most recognizable character, he has built an extensive voice-acting career away from Star Wars.
Hamill became especially well known for voicing the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series and projects such as Batman: Arkham Asylum. He also voiced Hobgoblin in Spider-Man: The Animated Series, Fire Lord Ozai in Avatar: The Last Airbender, Skips in Regular Show, and multiple characters in Metalocalypse.
Darkwing Duck now joins that lengthy list.
Disney Builds a Complete New Cast
Hamill will lead a cast mixing familiar names with several new characters.
Seth Rogen will voice Launchpad McQuack and serve as a producer. Lizzy Caplan will play Gosalyn Mallard, while Lilimar takes on the role of Duckie.
Dan Stevens joins as Glade McTowers, with Tiffany Shepis playing Rosa and Kathryn Newton voicing Firecracker. Teo Briones will play Timb, Tyler Dean Flores will voice Pondsy, Katie Rich will portray Officer Shanks, and Nat Faxon will play Officer Webb.
Sean Tretta and Borja Peña Gorostegui serve as executive producers. Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, Alex McAtee, and Gabby Grantham also executive produce through Point Grey Pictures.
The new creative team also has a direct connection to Darkwing's past. Original series creator Tad Stones consulted during development.
Stones has praised the project's combination of action, comedy, and Disney heart. He also compared Darkwing to characters such as Robin Hood, Zorro, and Sherlock Holmes, whose stories have repeatedly been reinterpreted for new audiences.
Hamill's Disney+ History
Of course, Hamill is already easy to find on Disney+.
The service's Star Wars collection includes his appearances as Luke Skywalker, from the original trilogy through his later return to the franchise.
Disney+ also became home to one of Luke's biggest modern appearances.
Hamill returned in The Mandalorian Season 2 finale, “Chapter 16: The Rescue.” Technology enabled the series to present a younger Luke upon his arrival to rescue Grogu and the others from Imperial forces.
Luke later appeared again during Grogu's story in The Book of Boba Fett.
Now, Hamill gets to add an entirely different Disney+ character to his career.
Darkwing Duck's Next Chapter Begins
Disney hasn't announced when the new Darkwing Duck series will premiere, leaving one major question unanswered.
Still, the direction is clear. Disney isn't simply retelling the original show. Darkwing's previous adventures remain part of his history, while Duckie and several new characters open the door to a different generation of stories.
For Hamill, the project also offers another opportunity to show the side of his career that extends well beyond Luke Skywalker.
When Darkwing Duck eventually arrives on Disney+, Mark Hamill will be the actor behind the mask.
