Having previously spoken out on the subject, Mindy Kaling is now sharing why she is unbothered by the Velma recasting backlash. Kaling stars in the upcoming HBO Max series as the titular Scooby-Doo character, with the show said to explore the origins of Mystery Inc. before they traveled the world solving mysteries. Developed by The Mindy Project alum Charlie Grandy, Velma is also changing tactics by bringing an R-rated approach to its world and characters, with Velma and her friends getting wrapped up in very gruesome cases.
Alongside Kaling, the ensemble cast for Velma includes Sam Richardson as Norville "Shaggy" Rogers, Constance Wu as Daphne Blake, Glenn Howerton as Fred, Russell Peters, Melissa Fumero, Sarayu Blue, Jane Lynch, Wanda Sykes, Fred Welker and Nicole Byer. While most audiences have praised the diverse casting choices and the updated appearances to the central group, including making Velma of South-Asian descent, Shaggy becoming Black and Daphne Asian to better fit their actors, there has been a large amount of backlash regarding the various changes to the popular characters. Now, one of the creatives driving Velma forward is sharing their thoughts on the situation.
While apearing at the show's New York Comic-Con panel, via Insider, Mindy Kaling opened up about the Velma recasting backlash. The executive producer/star admitted to being "constantly surprised" by the ongoing negative reactions to the show's diverse cast, but that she remained unbothered by it and compared the series to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which featured "characterizations of beloved characters that are unconventional." See what Kaling said below:
I think of the characters in this as so iconic, but in no way is the gang defined by their whiteness, except for Fred. So, I was a little bit surprised, and I think most Indian-American girls when they see this skeptical, hardworking, kind of underappreciated character, can identify with her.
Why Velma's Recasting Backlash Is Ridiculous
Kaling's response to the Velma recasting backlash largely echoes her previous comments on the situation, sharing her belief that a "nerdy girl with terrible eyesight" is a very universal character type, but that the initial pushback from fans did drive the creative team to handle the iconic Mystery Inc. with care. Though it's understandable some can find trouble accepting general casting changes for long-running franchises, the recasting backlash towards Velma is one that seems to crumble in on itself when looking at the Scooby-Doo franchise's recent history. The 2020 movie reboot Scoob! saw Gina Rodriguez take over the role of Velma and included nods to the actor's Hispanic heritage, while the upcoming Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo! shows the brainiac having a crush on female crime boss Coco Diablo, the latter of which has been met with much enthusiasm from fans, while the former saw more criticism directed towards the recasting of Matthew Lillard as Shaggy in favor of Will Forte.
Given audiences remained largely quiet in their negative feelings for the recasting in Scoob! and LGBTQ+ representation in Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo!, the backlash directed at Velma's recasting seems both ridiculous and unfair. Additionally, with neither Sam Richardson's Shaggy, nor Constance Wu's Daphne, receiving the same level of racist backlash from toxic audiences, it's really hard to understand why the HBO Max show is being singled out among other franchise entries. Only time will tell how the backlash affects the show's success when Velma premieres sometime in 2023.
Source: Insider