DuckTales was one of Disney's most popular animated shows, running for 100 episodes (and a movie) and consistently ranking in lists as one of the greatest animated series of all time. It has remained popular to this day despite going off the air 26 years ago, and this ongoing popularity is part of the reason that Disney's bringing it back on Disney XD.
The first preview image of the new series was released on Disney's D23 Twitter account (see the image below), giving us our first glimpse of Scrooge McDuck and the gang. The art is definitely different than the original Ducktales show, but the gang's antics look like they're as zany as ever.
Our first glimpse of the new DuckTales gives us a glimpse of something akin to a Jeep being driven through the jungle by a very focused Scrooge McDuck. Huey, Dewey and Louie are along for the ride, as is Webby Vanderquack; Scrooge's nephew Donald Duck is here too, barely hanging on to the top. Team McDuck seems to have run afowl of some natives, with spears hanging off of the vehicle (while Dewey prepares to throw one back.) The image seems to suggest slight differences in look and characterization for the boys; Huey is the only one wearing a cap and appears to be looking something up in a book, Dewey is in a t-shirt and appears more macho or aggressive and Louie seems to be wearing a hoodie and is pointing something out as though he was a leader of the group (or at least the most observant of the three.)
The art style seems to be a throwback to the work of Carl Barks, longtime Disney comic artist and the creator of Scrooge McDuck and several other regulars in the original DuckTales show. It also bears some similarities to the simple look of the Mickey Mouse animated series that airs on the Disney Channel. Of course, there's only so much that can be told from a single still image; fans will have a better idea of how the new series is once previews are released showing the characters in action and giving us a sample of the new voice cast.
The replacement of the voice cast is probably one of the biggest points of contention with the fan base. It was revealed last may that the original cast wasn't returning, though no reason for the change was given. It's worth noting though that after 26 years, some of the voice actors are getting old; Scrooge McDuck's voice actor, Alan Young, is 96 years old now (though he's still doing Scrooge's voice on Mickey Mouse.) It's also possible that the old voices just didn't fit the direction they wanted to go with the new art and stories so Disney found actors who were more in line with what they wanted for the new series.
Even with the change in voice cast, it's still exciting to see DuckTales returning. It's a shame that Launchpad McQuack wasn't included in the image since it'd be nice to see what his updated design looks like, but it has been reported that he'll appear in the show as well. Now all we need is for this show to become popular and spawn a new Darkwing Duck spinoff and it will be like the '90s are starting all over again.
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DuckTales will premiere on Disney XD in 2017.
Source: Disney D23