James Gunn, known for directing and writing Guardians of the Galaxy and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, as well as writing 2002’s live-action Scooby Doo remake, has revealed via Twitter that he had initially tried to make Velma “explicitly gay” in his first drafts of the script, but that “the studio kept watering it down, becoming ambiguous (the version shot), then nothing (the released version), & finally having boyfriend (the sequel).” Right before this, Tony Cervone, producer of early the 2010’s animated Scooby Doo show, Scooby Doo! Mystery Incorporated, posted on Instagram that Velma was lesbian, using her relationship with the character Marcie reveal such. In reaffirming this, Cervone stressed that he “obviously” does not “represent every version of Velma Dinkley.”
This isn’t the first time that Gunn has announced his tribulations in writing the Scooby Doo script, and even mentioned in January that Velma and Daphne were to kiss in the original cut, per CinemaBlend. He also admitted that it was originally rated-R because of “one stupid joke the MPAA misinterpreted,” and was eventually cut down from that to PG-13, and then to its eventual PG rating that we can see today.
Despite rewrites, 2002’s Scooby Doo was a success, raking in more than $54 million its opening weekend and $275 million worldwide. It was directed by Raja Gosnell and starred Matthew Lillard as Shaggy, Linda Cardellini as Velma, Sarah Michelle Gellar as Daphne, Freddie Prinze Jr. as Fred, and Neil Fanning as the voice of Scoob.
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