The live-action “Scooby Doo” movie released in 2002 had the potential to be a ground-breaking moment for the LGBTQ community. The film was written by James Gunn and starred Sarah Michelle Gellar as Daphne, Linda Cardellini as Velma, Matthew Lillard as Shaggy, and Freddie Prinze Jr. as Fred. The film was initially intended to be less family-friendly, but much of the risqué content was cut from the theatrical release.
In a recent visit to “Watch What Happens Live,” Gellar confirmed that a steamy kiss between Daphne and Velma was filmed but cut from the final version of the movie. Gunn also revealed in a 2020 Twitter thread that he wanted to make Velma explicitly gay in the movie and its 2004 sequel, “Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed,” but the studio wouldn’t allow it. The studio continued to water down Gunn’s vision until Velma had no representation of her sexuality in the released version of the film and ultimately had a boyfriend in the sequel.
This was a missed opportunity for the LGBTQ community. The kiss between Daphne and Velma would have been a significant moment in the representation of LGBTQ individuals in popular media. The LGBTQ community has long been seeking representation in all forms of media, and a kiss between two female characters in a major film would have been a step forward.
Furthermore, Gellar also revealed that a line in the film was cut that suggested Fred was gay. The line, in which Daphne insults Fred by saying that his ascot makes him look gay, would have added another layer of representation for the LGBTQ community. While the line may have been intended as an insult, it would have provided a subtle nod to the long-standing speculation about Fred’s sexual orientation.
In recent years, Velma’s sexual orientation has been portrayed more explicitly. In the animated movie “Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo!”, Velma is depicted as a lesbian, having an explicit crush on another female character, Coco Diablo. The recently launched HBO Max prequel series “Velma” also depicts her as queer.
Linda Cardellini, who played Velma in the live-action “Scooby Doo” movie, expressed her excitement about the recent portrayal of Velma as a lesbian. She stated that Velma has been a beloved character since 1969 and that she was happy to see her finally being represented in this way.
In conclusion, the live-action “Scooby Doo” movie released in 2002 had the potential to be a pivotal moment for the LGBTQ community. The steamy kiss between Daphne and Velma, as well as the line suggesting Fred was gay, would have been groundbreaking representations in popular media. Unfortunately, these scenes were cut from the final version of the film. However, recent portrayals of Velma as a lesbian have provided a positive step forward in the representation of LGBTQ individuals in popular media.
