For years fans of "Scooby-Doo" have wondered about the sexual orientation of its character, Velma Dinkley, but now the speculation can be laid to rest.
In the latest "Scooby-Doo" film — a Halloween special entitled "Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo!"— Velma is depicted as an LGBTQ character. This was confirmed in online clips of the new film released Tuesday that reveal the fictional character develops a crush on another female character.
Two years ago filmmaker James Funn, who was behind "Scooby-Doo" and its sequel, "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed," revealed that he had unsuccessfully tried to make the fan-favorite character gay.
"I tried! In 2001 Velma was explicitly gay in my initial script. But the studio just kept watering it down & watering it down, becoming ambiguous (the version shot), then nothing (the released version) & finally having a boyfriend (the sequel)," he tweeted at the time, according to Comic Book magazine.
Gunn also spoke about Velma's sexual orientation in another tweet that year saying that the studio cut "Scooby-Doo" to a PG rating when a handful of parents were "outraged" by a PG-13-rated test screening.
"Language and jokes and sexual situations were removed, including a kiss between Daphne and Velma. Cleavage was CGI'd over," Gunn wrote, according to Comic Book magazine. "But, thankfully, the farting remained."
"Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated" also hinted at Velma Dinkley's sexuality in an Instagram post shared during Pride month in 2020.
Alongside a photo of the characters Marcie and Velma in front of a rainbow background, he wrote in the caption, "I obviously don't represent every version of Velma Dinkley, but I am one of the key people that represents this one.
"We made our intentions as clear as we could ten years ago. Most of our fans got it. To those that didn't, I suggest you look closer. There's no new news here."