Just as there’s only one Blade and one Wolverine, there’s only one Shaggy—and that’s Matthew Lillard (not the new version in Mindy Kaling’s Velma series and probably not the new one Netflix just announced either). While some might say that the 56-year-old actor is too old to return to the role in a live-action film, many fans are pushing for a TV series centred around the character. Picture a darker, modern take: an older Shaggy, still played by Lillard, navigating a world where the gang has disbanded, yet he reluctantly continues solving mysteries. That’s the Matthew Lillard Shaggy TV show we’d love to watch.
Why Matthew Lillard Is The Perfect Shaggy
Casting a live-action version of an animated character can be some seriously tricky business; especially so when the character in question is one of the most recognizable and beloved ones in the history of Hannah-Barbera cartoons.
The duo of live-action Scooby-Doo films released in the early 2000s received mixed reviews from critics and fans of the Mystery Gang. However, if there’s one thing that everyone seems to agree on, it’s that the casting was on point—and none of the actors played their character better than Matthew Lillard as Shaggy Rogers.
Lillard, who was 32 when the first live-action Scooby-Doo film hit theatres in 2002, became inseparable from the character ever since. Many fans immediately think of Lillard when they’re looking for the ideal actor to play Shaggy, and Warner Bros. has absolutely taken notice of this trend.
How Matthew Lillard Became Shaggy’s Official Voice
It’s not an exaggeration to say that the casting of Matthew Lillard as Shaggy is the best thing to ever come out of the live-action Scooby-Doo flicks. The movies themselves were, at times, just too weird for their own good – or at least, that’s what some people believe.
For starters, the first movie sees the Mystery Gang investigating a crime in a new horror-themed park. By the film’s end, we have a conspiracy to resurrect evil demons, a pool of lost souls, and even a surprising reveal of Scrappy-Doo as the villain behind the whole ordeal.
The film’s original screenplay was written by James Gunn, and it shows. However, the director of Guardians of the Galaxy (and now, the DCU’s Superman) had some more twisted plans for the movie, including some decisions that would have turned it into an R-rated flick.
In the end, Scooby-Doo became a fun yet easily forgettable summer blockbuster, with Lillard’s performance being the only salvageable thing out of the whole affair. Though he had played some low-profile roles before, including one in a John Waters film, Lillard took everyone by storm with his performance of the lovely coward that is Scoob’s best friend. Fans absolutely loved Lillard, so much so, in fact, that he became Shaggy’s official animated voice when Casey Kasem retired in 2009. Considering the outpouring of love from fans towards Lillard’s performance, it came as a shock when it was announced that he wouldn’t be playing Shaggy in the 2020 animated film, Scoob!
Just one glance at the critics’ and audience’s reviews for Scoob! is enough to tell you that Lillard got the last laugh in the end.
The Case For A Standalone Shaggy Spin-Off
In recent years, there’s been a rise in the popularity of Shaggy as a character. Even more impressive is the fact that this resurgence doesn’t necessarily include the rest of the Scooby-Doo gang, as it seems like Shaggy has eclipsed the rest of his pals in his sheer number of fans. Things like the “Ultra Instinct Shaggy” meme and the character’s inclusion in some animated Warner Bros. logos prove that Shaggy is now more alive than ever – and that he no longer needs Fred or the Mystery Machine to shine.
Considering today’s fascination with rebooting and remaking classic animated stories, it seems particularly strange that there hasn’t been a serious proposal for a standalone Shaggy TV show – starring Matthew Lillard, of course.
Even though Lillard might be getting just a bit too old to play the eternal teenager that is Shaggy, an animated film featuring just him and his loyal canine companion would be a blast. Perhaps something in the same vein as the 1998 animated film Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island would work, as it would put Shaggy and Scoob into some more mature mysteries than they’re used to. It would be like an animated X-Files reboot, and we’re all in for that.
The Fan Campaign To Bring Lillard Back As Shaggy
Earlier in 2024, Netflix announced they had been working on a new, live-action Scooby-Doo show. Immediately, social media demanded Matthew Lillard’s return. Considering he’s been the face and voice of Norville “Shaggy” Rogers for over a decade, it seemed like a safe bet that Netflix had him in their sights when they began developing the show.
Though the love for Matthew Lillard has never waned, Scooby-Doo fans have been aching to see him return to the classic role of Shaggy for years. When the actor got “into character” for a 2022 Airbnb promo shoot, it moved fans to want to see him as an older incarnation of Scoob’s lifelong friend.
Back in January 2024, Lillard hyped fans even more when he revealed he’d be open to appearing in an R-rated version. Even James Gunn shared this sentiment, since his original vision for the movies was always to make them R-rated affairs.
As it turns out, Netflix went with a wholly new, unnamed cast of teenagers rather than bringing Lillard back, so he won’t be pulling Shaggy’s green shirt on for this particular show. But as both the official voice and face of the character for over a decade, that only strengthens the case for giving him a spin-off of his own – something built around an older, wearier Shaggy instead of a teenager solving mysteries at summer camp.
Netflix’s Live-Action Scooby-Doo Reboot: What We Know
Netflix had another option, too: leaning on its own back catalogue instead of casting new faces entirely, the way streaming platforms like Disney+ often recycle the same actors across multiple shows. Given that Mystery Inc. skews teenage, fans on X (formerly Twitter) spent months betting on a Stranger Things crossover instead. One viral post suggested Joe Keery and Natalia Dyer as the perfect Fred and Daphne, with Shaggy played by Charlie Heaton – all Stranger Things alumni. Neither bet paid off.
Instead, Netflix’s confirmed logline follows the gang’s “final summer at camp,” where Shaggy and Daphne stumble into a mystery tied to a lost Great Dane puppy that may have witnessed a supernatural murder – Velma shows up as a science-focused local, and Fred is the “strange, but ever so handsome new kid.” Frank Welker, who’s voiced Scooby since 2002 and has been part of the franchise since 1969, returns to voice the Great Dane, with Josh Appelbaum and Scott Rosenberg (Cowboy Bebop, From) showrunning and Greg Berlanti producing. Filming wrapped its Atlanta shoot in mid-2026, with a target release of 2027. (If you want an even wilder theory about who Shaggy really is, some fans still swear he’s secretly been Bruce Wayne in disguise this whole time.)
Even if Freddie Prinze Jr. regrets starring in James Gunn’s Scooby-Doo, Matthew Lillard has been vocal about his desire to continue the franchise’s legacy. With Five Nights at Freddy’s already out in theatres well before the live-action series arrives, it’s refreshing to see Lillard tapping into his Scream horror roots once more.
Casting call aside, the appetite for Lillard’s Shaggy hasn’t gone anywhere – and this new series should still be the palate cleanser the franchise needs after two seasons of Velma.
Matthew Lillard’s Real Comeback: The Lillaissance
While Netflix’s Scooby-Doo went with fresh faces, Lillard’s own career hasn’t needed the reboot to keep moving. In 2025, Quentin Tarantino – who’s made no secret of his dislike for the original cartoon – took a swing at Lillard’s acting during a viral podcast appearance, and the backlash on Lillard’s behalf was so strong that fans nicknamed the resulting run of roles the “Lillaissance.” Since then he’s popped up in Scream 7, Amazon’s Cross, and Disney+’s Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, and he’s joining James Gunn’s Superman: Man of Tomorrow alongside David Corenswet, Nicholas Hoult, and Rachel Brosnahan – part of a sprawling ensemble built around Gunn’s next DCU chapter. Lillard told People that Tarantino’s comments “sucked,” but it clearly hasn’t slowed him down – he’s got five more projects lined up.
So the Shaggy TV show pitch that kicked off this article hasn’t happened yet. But between the fan appetite for it and Lillard’s newfound momentum, the case for it is stronger than ever.
Tell us, do you want Matthew Lillard to return as Shaggy in an R-rated Scooby-Doo TV series?
Scooby-Doo |
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After an acrimonious break up, the Mystery Inc. gang are individually brought to an island resort to investigate strange goings on. |
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| Studio: Mosaic Media Group, Warner Bros. Pictures |
| Running Time: 86 minutes |
| Release Date: June 14, 2002 |
| Cast: Matthew Lillard, Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, Linda Cardellini, Rowan Atkinson, Isla Fisher |
| Director: Raja Gosnell |
| Writers: James Gunn, Craig Titley, William Hanna |
| Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Family |
| Box Office: $275.7 million |
