Scooby-Doo 's Velma Identifies as LGBTQ in New Trick or Treat Halloween Film

Warner Bros. Entertainment

Velma Dinkley has officially been depicted as an LGBTQ character in a new animated Scooby-Doo Halloween special entitled Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo!.

Following years-long speculation about Velma’s sexual orientation, online clips from the new film released Tuesday reveal that the fictional character develops a crush on another female character — a costume designer named Coco Diablo.

In one clip shared on Twitter, Velma uttered her trademark line “Jinkies” after meeting Coco for the first time and appeared to be completely smitten after meeting her.

Warner Bros. Entertainment

RELATED: Mindy Kaling Responds to Backlash Over Her Role as ‘Scooby-Doo’ ‘s Velma: ‘There Are Indian Nerds’

Representatives for Warner Brothers Discovery Inc. did not immediately return PEOPLE’s request for comment.

In 2020, the filmmaker James Gunn (Scooby Doo, Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed) revealed he had attempted to make the fan-favorite character gay but was eventually shot down.

“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, adding an annoyed emoji.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up to date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Gunn then told a fan at the time that some of the implications can still be seen in deleted scenes of the movie and that his original script would confirm that he tried to write her as a gay woman.

During Pride month in 2020, Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated producer Tony Cervone seemingly confirmed Velma’s sexuality in an Instagram post.

RELATED VIDEO: Billy Eichner Says Making R-Rated Gay Rom Com ‘Bros’ Was “Dreamy and Surreal”

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.”

Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo! is currently available to rent or purchase on Prime Video.

Source: Read Full Article