McKenna Grace appeared at the Los Angeles premiere of PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie with long copper-red hair, and Scooby-Doo fans immediately connected the look to Daphne Blake. Grace is officially playing Daphne in Netflix's live-action series Scooby-Doo: Origins, so the comparison is understandable.
The hair is not a casting rumor or fan edit. Grace joined the series earlier this year and had already shown the new color after the announcement. Her latest public appearance gave fans a clearer look at it, and the color is close to the red-orange hair Daphne has worn in most animated versions of Scooby-Doo.
Netflix has not released a full costume photo of Grace as Daphne. The premiere dress was white, not Daphne's usual purple, and the event was for another movie. It would be too early to treat the appearance as an official wardrobe reveal. What it does show is that Grace can look recognizable as Daphne without copying an old costume exactly.
Grace Already Has a Connection to Daphne
Scooby-Doo: Origins will not be Grace's first time playing the character. She voiced a younger Daphne in the 2020 animated movie Scoob!, with Amanda Seyfried voicing the adult version. The Netflix series is a separate production, but Grace already understands how Daphne fits into the group.
Her other roles also make sense for this version of Scooby-Doo. Grace has worked in family movies, but she also has experience with horror through Annabelle Comes Home, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and the Scream films. Scooby-Doo works best when the mystery is fun for younger viewers but still feels dangerous enough to keep everyone interested.
Sarah Michelle Gellar, who played Daphne in the 2002 and 2004 live-action movies, publicly supported the casting and said Grace would be perfect. That approval matters to longtime fans because Gellar's version remains one of the most popular live-action takes on the character. Grace does not need to imitate her, but she is taking over a role people remember clearly.
The online reaction is still mixed in the normal way casting discussions are mixed. Many fans like the red hair and think Grace fits the role. Others are waiting to see the costume, the writing, and her chemistry with the rest of Mystery Inc. A hair color can make the first image feel right, but the performance will decide whether this Daphne works for a full season.
Daphne also needs more than the correct color palette. Different versions have written her as the stylish member of the group, a capable fighter, an investigator, or a mix of all three. Gellar's movies gave her more physical comedy and action, while several animated series focused on her confidence and loyalty to the team. Netflix has not explained which version will influence Grace's performance.
What Scooby-Doo: Origins Is About
Netflix describes Scooby-Doo: Origins as the first case that brings Mystery Inc. together. During their final summer at camp, Shaggy and Daphne find a lost Great Dane puppy that may have witnessed a supernatural murder. Velma and Fred join them as the mystery becomes more dangerous and begins exposing secrets within the group.
The main cast includes Grace as Daphne, Tanner Hagen as Shaggy, Abby Ryder Fortson as Velma, and Maxwell Jenkins as Fred. Paul Walter Hauser also has an undisclosed role. Production began in Atlanta in April, and Netflix has not announced an exact premiere date.
Netflix's first cast image already places Grace near the center of the group with the red hair visible, but it is a staged production photo rather than a scene from the show. There is still no trailer showing how the actors speak, move, or solve a mystery together. That footage will tell fans much more than a premiere photo can.
The origin story changes the usual setup because the group does not begin as an established team. Shaggy and Daphne already know each other, while Velma and Fred enter through the new case. That gives the series time to show why these four very different teenagers decide to stay together after the first mystery.
Grace's new look is a useful first impression, especially after fans spent months comparing the cast with earlier versions. She has the red hair, previous experience as Daphne, and enough horror work to handle a mystery that Netflix is describing as a supernatural murder. Now fans need to see the purple wardrobe and actual footage before deciding how close this version feels to the Daphne they know. The red hair looks promising, but it cannot show whether the complete performance works.
