Darkwing Duck (2025 film)

Darkwing Duck is a 2025 American live-action/animated action-adventure comedy film based on the characters based on the TV series of the same name. The film is a direct sequel/spinoff to Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers and is a continuation of said series and Bonkers. Directed by Akiva Schaffer and written by Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, the film stars Jim Cummings, Beck Bennett, Stephanie Beatriz, John Leguizamo, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Dan Castellaneta, Michael Bell and Corey Burton. It is a co-production between Walt Disney Pictures, producers David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman's Mandeville Films, and TBD.

Premise
Six months after the events of Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers (and over thirty three years after his series ended), Darkwing Duck (Jim Cummings) has tried his best to get some relevancy, but failed. In his spare time, he and his daughter, Gosalyn Mallard (Beatriz) work for the TRC (Toon Recovery Center), a place that helps rehabilitate cartoon characters (such as the ones who were bootlegged by Sweet Pete), changes them back to their original traditionally animated designs, and gives them a fresh start. However, The Fearsome Five and Yellow Dolphin(Leslie Jones) plan to start their own army consisting of rejected toons to start their own studio that makes "cool movies for kids". Darkwing Duck, Gosalyn Mallard, Launchpack, The Justice Ducks and Bonkers (who is currently struggling with anxiety) must work together to stop The Fearsome Five and Yellow Dolphin before many toons' reputations are ruined.

Cast

 * Jim Cummings as Drake Mallard/Darkwing Duck, Bonkers D. Bobcat, Negaduck, Monterey Jack, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, King Louie, The Tasmanian Devil, Detective Lucky Shirley Piquel and Hal
 * Beck Bennett as Launchpack McQuack
 * Stephanie Beatriz as Gosalyn Mallard
 * Katie Leigh as Honker Muddlefoot
 * Michael Bell as Quacker Jack
 * John Leguizamo as Bushroot
 * Corey Burton as Liquidator
 * Leslie Jones as Yellow Dolphin, a parody of Baby Shark and the Minions from Despicable Me, who helps the Fearsome Five kickstart their studio. She is also a parody of greedy animation executives.
 * Lin-Manuel Miranda as Fenton Crackshell / Gizmoduck
 * Dan Castellaneta as Megavolt, Earthworm Jim, Homer Simpson, and Krusty the Clown
 * Billy West as Red and Woody Woodpecker
 * J.K Simmons as Yellow
 * Vincent Martella as Phineas Flynn
 * David Errigo Jr. as Ferb Fletcher
 * Dee Bradley Baker as Perry the Platypus
 * Dan Povenmire as Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz
 * Brian Hull as Genie, Mushu, Elliot, Iago and Stitch
 * Steven Curtis Chapman as Baloo
 * Charles Fleischer as Roger Rabbit
 * Jason Marsden as Max Goof
 * Richard Steven Horvitz as Daggett Beaver
 * Nick Bakay as Norbert Beaver
 * Rachel Bloom as Tom
 * Nancy Cartwright as Bart Simpson and Fawn Deer
 * John Mulaney as Chip
 * Andy Samberg as Dale
 * Tress MacNeille as Gadget Hackwrench
 * Dennis Haysbert as Zipper
 * Cristina Vee as Marinette Dupain-Cheng / Ladybug
 * Bryce Papenbrook as Adrien Agreste / Cat Noir
 * Jeff Bennett as Jitters A. Dog, Zazu, Peter Puppy and Johnny Bravo
 * Frank Welker as Fall-Apart Rabbit, Garfield and Snott
 * Ed Helms as Captain Underpants
 * Ed Helms as Captain Underpants

Trivia

 * The movie pokes fun at how animation is mistreated (and referred to as a kids genre), how celebrities and characters are overused, how some villains reform after a speech, how some animated movies try to be hip and cool and other problems with the animation community.
 * The movie has a message of handling anxiety, how revenge cannot solve anything, self esteem, responsibility, and handling criticism.
 * In one scene, Genie (who is in his traditionally animated form from the 1992 version of Aladdin) mentions to Darkwing that he is happy to be back in traditional animation and mentions that toons can switch from traditional animation to CGI at anytime only after their done filming in their CGI appearance.
 * The TRC (Toon Recovery Center) serves as a rehabilitation center for toons.

Quotes

 * Bonkers: I feel your pain, Drake. I also tried getting people to like me but all they saw(sniffs), was a Roger Rabbit clone.
 * Negaduck: (to the rejected toons): We'll make movies that feature terrible jokes.
 * Megavolt: Not mention rapping! (laughs)
 * Bushroot: Suggestive content!
 * Quacker Jack: And a lot of celebrities!
 * Negaduck: Stop interupting me!
 * Megavolt, Liquidator, Bushroot and Quacker Jack: Sorry, boss.
 * Negaduck: (to the rejected toons): WHO'S WITH US?
 * (all the toons murmur to each other)
 * Negaduck: Well? Are you ready to get the treatment you deserve and the revenge you always wanted?
 * Rejected Toons: YEAH!
 * Negaduck: (smirks evilly) Excellent! (begins laughing maniacally)
 * (the others join in)

Walt Disney Animation Studios

 * Winnie the Pooh and Tigger from the Winnie the Pooh franchise
 * Genie and Iago from the 1992 version of Aladdin
 * Stitch from Lilo and Stitch.
 * Kronk from The Emperor's New Groove
 * Baloo from the 2016 version of The Jungle Book
 * Mushu from the 1998 version of Mulan
 * Elliot from the 1977 version of Pete's Dragon
 * Zazu and rejected toon versions of adult Simba, Timon and Pumbaa from the 1994 version of The Lion King
 * Olaf from Frozen
 * A character resembling Mirabel Madrigal from Encanto appears as a rejected toon.

Pixar Animation Studios

 * Three of the rejected toons bare a resemblance to Mike Wazowzki, James P. Sulivan and Randall Boggs from Monsters Inc.
 * A toon astronaut has a similar design to Buzz Lightyear from the Toy Story films.

Disney Television Animation & Disney Branded Television

 * Max Goof from A Goofy Movie
 * Phineas Flynn, Ferb Fletcher, Perry the Platypus and Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz from Phineas and Ferb
 * King Louie from TaleSpin

20th Television Animation

 * Homer Simpson, Bart Simpson and Krusty the Clown from The Simpsons

Blue Sky Studios

 * Rejected toons version of Sid and Scrat from Ice Age
 * A rejected toon elephant bares a resemblance to the titular character from Horton Hears a Who!

Looney Tunes

 * Bugs Bunny
 * Daffy Duck
 * Porky Pig
 * Tweety Bird
 * Elmer Fudd
 * The Tasmanian Devil
 * Sylvester the Cat (who appears as a rejected toon)

DC Comics

 * Characters resembling Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman appear as rejected toons.

Cartoon Network

 * Flain, Seismo, Volectro, Lunk, Gobba, Scorpi, Kraw, Burnard and Camilot from Mixels
 * The titular character from Johnny Bravo
 * Characters resembling Gumball and Darwin Watterson from The Amazing World of Gumball appear as rejected toons.

Turner Entertainment

 * Tom and Jerry

Hanna-Barbera

 * Rejected toon versions of Scooby-Doo and Shaggy Rogers from Scooby-Doo
 * Characters resembling Fred Flinstone and Barney Rubble from The Flinstones appear as rejected toons.

Warner Bros. Animation

 * Sam-I-Am and Guy-Am-I from Green Eggs and Ham
 * Yakko, Wakko and Dot (who appear as rejected toons) and Ralph the Guard from Animaniacs

Nickelodeon

 * Rocko, Heffer, Filburt and Spunky from Rocko's Modern Life
 * The Loud House (mentioned)
 * Norbert and Daggett from The Angry Beavers
 * SpongeBob SquarePants, Patrick Star and Squidward Tentacles (who appear as rejected toons) from SpongeBob SquarePants

Paws, Inc.

 * Garfield (appears in a commercial)

Walter Lantz Productions

 * Woody Woodpecker
 * Andy Panda
 * Chilly Willy (who appears as a rejected toon)

DreamWorks Animation

 * Captain Underpants from Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie

Aardman Animations

 * A rejected toon version of Shaun the Sheep

The Jim Henson Company

 * Characters resembling Big Bird, Elmo and Cookie Monster appear as rejected toons.

Nintendo

 * Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Yoshi and Toad (appear on a billboard)
 * Rejected toon versions of Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong
 * Rejected toon version of Charizard from Pokemon
 * Rejected toon versions of Kirby, Meta Knight and King Dedede from Kirby

Rovio

 * Red, Chuck, Bomb, Hal and Bubbles from Angry Birds

Xilam

 * Oggy from Oggy and the Cockroaches
 * Zig, Bernie, Sharko and Marina from Zig and Sharko
 * Tom, Willow, His Highness and Cindy(mentioned) from A Kind of Magic
 * Rejected toon versions of Candy, Etno, Bud and Gorgious from Space Goofs

Hasbro

 * Bumblebee (mentioned) from Transformers

Other

 * Red, Yellow and Orange from M&M's
 * Goku (appears on a t-shirt), and Vegeta from Dragon Ball Z
 * The Pink Panther, The Little Man, Charlie Ant, The Blue Aardvark, and The Tijuana Toads (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
 * Marinette Dupain-Cheng / Ladybug and Adrien Agreste / Cat Noir from Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir
 * Thomas the Tank Engine (mentioned)
 * Sonny Bird and rejected toon versions of Lucky the Leprechaun and Trix Rabbit (General Mills)
 * Toucan Sam (Froot Loops)
 * Rejected toon version of Tony the Tiger (Frosted Flakes)