It’s official: Velma Dinkley is a lesbian, as revealed in the new animated film Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo!. Though Velma’s sexuality had pretty much been an open secret with fans, it was not something that was ever confirmed in an official Scooby-Doo movie or series, despite attempts from creators in the past to make it happen. In the new film, Velma can be seen clearly crushing hard on crime boss Coco Diablo, and this was seen by many as the Scooby-Doo franchise’s way of formally outing the brainy mystery-solver.
The powers that be at Google were happy to see Velma’s homosexuality explored in Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo!, as a fun Easter egg has been added to the search engine for the time being. Googling search terms like “Velma,” “Velma Dinkley,” “Dinkley,” and “Velma Scooby-Doo” will bring up the search results along with a cavalcade of animated confetti and pride flags raining down from the top of the screen.
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There have been attempts to out Velma in the past by those involved with the Scooby-Doo franchise. James Gunn, who wrote the live-action Scooby-Doo movies, said in 2020 that he had originally written Velma as a lesbian, but that aspect was scrapped before making it to the screen after heavy studio meddling.
“In 2001 Velma was explicitly gay in my initial script," Gunn said in a tweet. “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).”
Mystery Incorporated producer Tony Cervone would also say in an Instagram post in 2020 that the animated version of the character for this series was gay, even if they weren’t allowed to show that on-screen.
“I’ve said this before, but Velma in Mystery Incorporated is not bi. She’s gay," Cervone said. “We always planned on Velma acting a little off and out of character when she was dating Shaggy because that relationship was wrong for her and she had unspoken difficulty with the why. There are hints about the why in that episode with the mermaid, and if you follow the entire Marcie arc it seems as clear as we could make it 10 years ago. I don’t think Marcie and Velma had time to act on their feelings during the main timeline, but post-reset, they are a couple. You can not like it, but this was our intention.”
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Another New Version of Velma Is Coming to HBO Max
Meanwhile, Mindy Kaling will voice a new incarnation of Velma Dinkley in the adult animated series Velma. This series puts a spin on the character by reimagining Velma as South Asian, though it’s unclear at this time if she will be depicted as a lesbian. The show serves as a prequel with Velma solving mysteries before meeting a certain group of mystery-solvers who travel around in a colorful van with a hungry and cowardly dog.
Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo! is available digitally, though it will be premiering on Cartoon Network on Oct. 14, followed by an HBO Max debut the following day. The home release will be arriving on Oct. 18. As for Velma, a release date for that show hasn’t yet been set at HBO Max.
