Mckenna Grace Debuts Fiery Red Hair After ‘Scooby-Doo’ Daphne Casting — Turns Heads at Miami Grand Prix
McKenna Grace is not waiting for the cameras to roll to step into character. The actress, freshly cast as Daphne Blake in Netflix’s upcoming live-action series ‘Scooby-Doo: Origins’, showed up to the Celebrity Friends For F1 Miami Grand Prix event on May 2 with a striking new red hair transformation that made it clear she is already embracing her iconic role.
Grace was confirmed as Daphne Blake in February, with the casting marking a notable return to the character for the actress, who previously voiced a younger version of Daphne in the animated film ‘Scoob!’ in 2020 and had been set to reprise the role in a sequel before Warner Bros. Discovery scrapped it as part of a cost-cutting effort. The live-action take on the beloved franchise gives her a much bigger canvas to work with.
‘Scooby-Doo: Origins’ is an eight-part series currently in production in Atlanta, billed as a modern reimagining of the Scooby-Doo universe that goes back to the very first mystery that brought the gang together. Joining Grace in the ensemble are Tanner Hagen as Shaggy Rogers, Abby Ryder Fortson as Velma Dinkley, Maxwell Jenkins as Fred Jones, and Paul Walter Hauser in a recurring role believed to be that of Scooby’s original owner.
Veteran voice actor Frank Welker, who has voiced both Fred Jones and Scooby-Doo since 1969 and 2002 respectively, is also reprising the role of Scooby for the series. The casting of Welker provides a meaningful through-line from the original animated series to this new production, something that is likely to resonate strongly with longtime fans.
Grace’s red hair debut at the Miami Grand Prix was not the first hint that she has been leaning into Daphne’s signature aesthetic off-set. Earlier in April, she was photographed wearing deep purple and lavender tones, a subtle nod to Daphne’s classic color palette from the animated series. The pattern suggests an actress who is genuinely invested in the character she is about to bring to life, which fans of the franchise seem to be responding well to online.
The series is written and showrun by Josh Appelbaum and Scott Rosenberg of Midnight Radio, produced by Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television. Netflix has already shared first-look photos of the cast in costume, giving audiences an early glimpse of how the Mystery Inc. team will look in this new iteration.
With production currently underway, a premiere is not expected until late this year at the earliest, with early next year being a more likely window. In the meantime, Grace’s red hair moment at a Formula 1 event has done more for the show’s social media visibility than any press release could have managed, and the excitement building around this reimagining of one of animation’s most beloved franchises is only growing.
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