First, he was Hamilton and now he's the voice of one of the most underrated cartoon characters of the late '80s/early '90s — that's right, as reported by TVLine, Lin-Manuel Miranda is joining the DuckTales reboot as Gizmoduck. If that news just made you squeal, then congratulations, you are a true child of the '90s. Gizmoduck is Duckburg's very own superhero. With his robotic suit and impressive eye shield, the character is clearly inspired by Robocop, but he's still his own person — err, duck. By day, Gizmoduck is Fenton Crackshell-Cabrera, an intern who works for the mad scientist Gyro Gearloose. It's at night when he dons his suit to keep the streets of Duckberg safe that Fenton truly embraces his heroic side.
Of all the iconic DuckTales characters, Gizmoduck is by far the most underrated. I mean, he rolls around on a single wheel serving up justice and one-liners. He should be beloved, but he's often overshadowed by flashier characters like Scrooge McDuck or Launchepad McQuack. I suspect all that will change now that Miranda is giving voice to the character.
Not only is Miranda one of the most talented people on the planet, he's also helping to give Gizmoduck a modern upgrade. In a statement to TV Line, DuckTales co-producer Francisco Angones revealed that he wanted to make the crime-fighter a diverse hero. He said,
"Growing up as a Cuban-American comics enthusiast, I was always hungry for a Latino hero to call my own. In developing the new series, [executive producer Matt Youngberg] and I leapt at the opportunity to adapt 'DuckTales' marquee hero into a young scientist character with Latin-inspired roots."
That's right, Gizmoduck just got even cooler.
With his incredible voice talents and commitment to diversity, Miranda seems like the perfect actor to bring Gizmoduck to life for a new generation. The actor is joining a stacked voice cast that includes David Tennant, Danny Pudi, Ben Schwartz, and Bobby Moynihan. In other words, this news just solidifies the fact that you'll probably be eager to see the new DuckTales. Your inner 8-year-old demands it, if for no other reason than to finally see Gizmoduck get his due.
