Scooby-Doo is a beloved and storied franchise with fans of all different ages. The one thing that connects all of the fans? The Scooby-Doo direct-to-video movies.
Regardless of your age, there is no way you don't remember watching at least one or two of them while you were growing up. While the first official release didn't occur until 1998 with Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island, there were other longer specials that were video-length.
While some of them migrated over to Max, a lot of them stayed on Boomerang. As the channel known for playing classic cartoons, it would only make sense for them live there. However, things are changing with Boomerang now being folded into Max, which results in a lot of content being shuffled around.
The main question is if we'll see these direct-to-video Scooby-Doo movies end up streaming on Max or simply be lost until Warner Bros Discovery decides to cycle them in?
Could we see the end of an era for Scooby-Doo movie lovers?
If you're a Scooby-Doo fan, you're probably agreeing with the majority which is that this is a dumb decision. While that might sound harsh, this feels like more of a cash grab than anything. These shows and movies lived on Boomerang for a reason. Moving them to Max only proves that the company wants people to pay a higher price without the guarantee of the same content being available.
For those who aren't subscribed to Max, there aren't many direct-to-video Scooby films and honestly, it's sad to think of the list getting even smaller. If the company was thinking, they'd add all of the Scooby-Doo direct-to-video films and call it a day. There is something so comforting about these movies and they're just such good yet sometimes cheesy fun that can't help but put a smile on your face.
Not allowing us to watch or stream these at all feels like a slap in the face for those who grew up watching and loving these films. While the quality might be questionable, these films are more about the feeling and being able to share with those who haven't watched. Ultimately, the Scooby-Doo franchise has undergone so many changes but this switch to Max could prove to be detrimental.
Overall, the statement on Boomerang's Help Desk page doesn't breed much hope. In the top question explaining everything, there was one statement that stood out: "Starting September 30, you can watch fan-favorite Boomerang shows alongside Max’s full catalog of iconic series, hit movies, fresh originals, breaking news, and family favorites including The Amazing World of Gumball, Teen Titans Go!, Lego Batman and more!" There is nothing about movies but instead, a focus on shows so it doesn't give us a lot of clues on what's next for Scooby-Doo.
Waiting until September 30th to find out the answer is going to feel like torture, but hopefully we'll get more Scooby-Doo content on Max. If not, it'll be another questionable decision from Warner Bros Discovery which is the norm these days.