7 Nostalgic Reasons to Become Addicted to the New DuckTales

(Guest Post by Jared)

In 2016 when Disney announced they were rebooting the Ducktales cartoon we loved from the 80s it sparked quite a controversy. Did Huey, Dewey, Louie, Donald and their Uncle Scrooge need to a reboot? Why play with characters that were so beloved and potentially stain the originals? Well as hesitant as this writer was, I am pleased to say it has not disappointed, and with season two ending soon and a new teaser poster for season three recently released at SDCC I can only say I am so excited with these beloved characters, and am so excited to watch where they go next!

1. Darkwing Duck
It’s been amazing that this new DuckTales has been able to write all these characters in a combining way that is both nostalgic and fresh. In the season two episode “The Duck Knight Returns” we catch up with the washed up actor who played Darkwing Duck in Launchpad’s favorite childhood show. They learn of a gritty Darkwing movie being developed by Scrooge’s film studio. As the story progresses we meet Drake Mallard the young actor now wearing the mask for this film, and a huge fan of the original himself. This episode is one of the best that DuckTales has done, in both nostalgia fan service as well as creating a new level of realism and depth to a lovable new version.

2. The Three Caballeros 
Early in season two we are introduced to two of Donald Duck’s oldest friends Jose and Panchito, together they used to be known as The Three Caballeros. Together the three come together with their music and pay homage to the classic old Disney film. This trio appears again in the season three poster, teasing their return once again.

3. Gummi Bears
Late in season one we got a flashback episode explaining how Scrooge and Ms. Beasley met, and they take us on an adventure to discover the Great Book of Castle Dunwyn; which you’ll remember from the 90s Gummi Bears cartoon. The book gives us the secret recipe where Scrooge experiments with Gummi Berryjuice. We even get a shot of our original Gummi Bears in the ancient parchment. The vial at the bottom-left of the season three poster show the potion in a beaker, eluding that we’re no done with the Gummi Bear storyline!

4. TaleSpin!
Also in the first season we are introduced to the infamous air pirate Don Karnage, who you’ll remember as one of the iconic villains from the original TaleSpin. While we haven’t seen any of our main characters return from the beloved 90s cartoon, Baloo, Kit, Rebecca or Molly they are teased to appear in the season three poster. Karnage also appeared in the teaser for the final five episodes of DuckTales season two which will bring all our villains together to take on Scrooge and his family.

5. Magica DeSpell
Magica can easily be remembered as one of the most iconic villains from the original DuckTales run, and she was given an amazing return during the premiere season of our new DuckTales. Unlike the original this series is much more serialized with much larger storytelling and we had months and months of buildup before we watched her finally make her move in the season one finale. Magica also appears in the final trailer for the final season two episodes as one of the villains who brings all of Scrooge’s foes together.

6. Gizmoduck
One of the most iconic heroes from both the original DuckTales and Darkwing Duck cartoons; it was no surprise that Gizmoduck made a quick return to Duckberg and quickly meshed in with Scrooge’s family. This version of Gizmoduck is much like what you’ll remember from the original. He hides his identity and he’s a clumsy but ambitious inventor. What makes this new version so much fun is his relationship with Huey, Dewey and Louie, and his hopes in becoming a famous superhero.

7. Della Duck
Finally, the best reason to watch the new DuckTales is the decades long mystery of what happened to Huey, Dewey and Louie’s mother and why does their Uncle Donald have custody?

One of the longest ongoing storylines is the missing member of the Duck family, it’s why Scrooge has never met Huey, Dewey or Louie when the show begins, and Donald has held a grudge against Scrooge for Della’s disappearance. It’s a long arcing story with slow answers and it pays off, the mystery is well worth the wait! Long story arcs and character development is where this new version of our Ducks succeeds, something they couldn’t have easily done in the late 80s.

I hope some of you will begin this wonderful new show and enjoy it as much as I have! With season two finishing up in an Infinity War type epic we’ll see all the villains from our past two seasons combine efforts to take down Scrooge and his family, and our heroes come together to stop them.

Beyond season two the season three teaser poster promises to introduce even more characters into our expanded universe! Darkwing Duck’s adopted daughter Gosalyn Mallard as well as the Rescue Rangers, TaleSpin and two surprising additions in Goofy and Daisy Duck. The DuckTales Universe is constantly expanding and this writer is hoping for a spinoff series centering on a few of these in an Arrowverse type trajectory, but only time will tell!