Tubi Lands Scooby-Doo’s First Anime Series With Welker and Lillard Returning
Tubi has secured North American rights to Yokoso Scooby-Doo!, the franchise’s first-ever original anime series, with Frank Welker and Matthew Lillard reprising their iconic roles from Warner Bros. Animation.
- Tubi has acquired Yokoso Scooby-Doo! — the first original anime in the 57-year-old Scooby-Doo franchise — for North American streaming.
- Frank Welker and Matthew Lillard return as Scooby-Doo and Shaggy; Cartoon Network holds international rights.
- The series is produced by Warner Bros. Animation with Japan’s OLM studio, directed by Itsuro Kawasaki.
- No premiere date has been confirmed; Netflix is separately developing a live-action Scooby-Doo: Origins.
Frank Welker and Matthew Lillard will return as Scooby and Shaggy in the ‘SCOOBY-DOO’ anime series.
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) May 18, 2026
Coming soon to Tubi. pic.twitter.com/rAq3eKXSb3
The show sets Scooby and Shaggy loose on a foodie trip to Japan, where the duo accidentally unleashes hundreds of mythical monsters across the country.
Tubi announced the acquisition alongside a full cast and plot reveal, confirming exclusive streaming rights in North America. Cartoon Network will carry the series internationally.
The wider significance is hard to overstate: this marks the first time the beloved Great Dane and his mystery-solving crew have been reimagined through the lens of Japanese animation — a format that commands a massive global fanbase and represents a bold new creative frontier for Warner Bros. Animation.
A Japan-Set Mystery With New Characters
The series follows Scooby and Shaggy as they accidentally unleash hundreds of mythical monsters during what was supposed to be a relaxed culinary tour.
Three new characters join the adventure: Daisuke-Doo (Scooby’s uncle), Yume (a magical girl), and Takumi (a gadget specialist).
Welker and Lillard Back in the Van
Welker has been part of the Scooby-Doo franchise since its 1969 debut, originally voicing Fred Jones in Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!
He took over as the voice of Scooby-Doo in 2002 and has held the role for more than two decades since.
Lillard famously played Shaggy in the 2002 live-action film and has continued voicing the character across multiple animated series.
Production and Creative Team
The series is produced by Warner Bros. Animation, with production services provided by OLM — the Japanese studio behind the Pokémon anime.
Itsuro Kawasaki directs, with Francisco Paredes serving as co-producer.
Free Streamer, Big Franchise Bet
Tubi’s acquisition of the series places a premium animated property on a free, ad-supported streaming platform — a strategic choice that maximises accessibility but raises questions about production ambition.
This is not the first Scooby-Doo adventure set in Japan: the 2009 direct-to-video film Scooby-Doo! and the Samurai Sword visited the country. However, Yokoso Scooby-Doo! marks a definitive first as an original anime series.
Yokoso Scooby-Doo! is one of two new Scooby-Doo projects currently in development. Netflix is separately producing a live-action Scooby-Doo: Origins, which began filming in April 2026.
No premiere date for Yokoso Scooby-Doo! has been announced.
Elena Vane is an award-winning comics historian and pop culture journalist. Specializing in the DC/Marvel universes and independent graphic novels, Elena has been documenting the rise of cosplay culture for over a decade . She is a frequent panelist at New York Comic Con and provides in-depth biographies of industry pioneers. Elena’s expertise ensures that every comic-related update is factually grounded and community-focused .
