No, we haven’t been eating some Scooby Snacks around here. This is a legitimate theory where we believe that Shaggy from Scooby-Doo could actually be an undercover Bruce Wayne/Batman.
Let’s take a look at all the evidence for the Batman theory…
Remember Matches Malone?
Sometimes, you can’t storm into a building dressed as a giant bat to get the answers you want. It’s also difficult to do it as a world-renowned billionaire since most people will start asking questions and wondering why a rich guy is snooping around. It’s for this very reason that Bruce Wayne created the Matches Malone persona, which allows him to infiltrate Gotham City’s underworld and find out critical information without setting off too many alarm bells.
Considering how Matches has become another mask for Bruce, it’s more than likely that he’s developed even more personas and characters for various purposes. Blending in as a gangly teenager just seems like the most inconspicuous personality yet, but there are a few hints at who might be hiding under the façade of Shaggy.
The detective element of Shaggy
Don’t be fooled by the fact that Scooby and Shaggy bumble along and solve mysteries by “accident”. For some reason, they always find themselves at the right place, at the right time, or activating the trapdoor that reveals the truth.
Shaggy allows Fred and the rest of Mystery Inc. to believe he and Scooby are the weakest links of the group. They let the others take the glory, while they remain in the background. Isn’t that exactly what someone in hiding would do?
Shaggy’s gifted athleticism
Whenever Shaggy finds himself in a pickle, he seems to suddenly find the necessary strength or speed to get out of it. Sure, he isn’t outright knocking out villains or ghouls, but he displays an almost superhuman athleticism to get out of any bound.
Much like Matches must take a few punches to prove he isn’t someone else, it’s likely that Bruce Wayne as Shaggy will need to curb his natural instincts to avoid anyone finding out he’s really Batman.
Scooby-Doo is part of the DC Universe
We’ve all seen the crossovers. Batman and the Scooby gang have teamed up countless times over the years. But doesn’t this negate the theory since Batman and Shaggy are working together? Well, not so fast…
How many times has Bruce had Dick Grayson, or even Alfred, dress up as Batman to throw off suspicion? More than a few times, that’s for sure. Whenever someone starts piecing together that Bruce Wayne and Batman are the same person, he does the quick switcheroo to confound them. In all likelihood, someone like Velma has become sceptical of Shaggy’s persona and he has had to resort to calling in backup to portray the Dark Knight.
Scooby-Doo could be Ace the Bat-Hound
The breed of Ace the Bat-Hound has changed in DC Comics more times than Batman has swapped out his Batmobile. However, in Batman Beyond, Ace was shown to be a Great Dane—you know, like Scooby-Doo. While the dog’s fur didn’t have the same markings or colour as Scooby’s, that’s something that can easily be solved with some dye.
But Scoob! showed an origin story for Shaggy, right?
Again, don’t put it past Batman to consider all the angles. If he created Shaggy as a persona, he put a lot of thought into it, including where he came from, who his friends were, and even the real name of Norville Rogers. He covered all his bases to create a convincing history and backstory for his character. In fact, it might be so good that he catfished Mystery Inc. into believing he really is their teenage friend.