There’s no doubt that Lin-Manuel Miranda is a Puerto Rican impresario and all-around busy guy. In between trying to get a filmed adaptation of his Tony-award winning play In the Heights on the big screen and starring in a Puerto Rican version of Hamilton, it’s amazing he has time to add anything else to his overcrowded plate. But now you can add “voice of a Disney channel duck” to his new list of accomplishments.
Last year, Disney announced the return of their animated series DuckTales, this time set to be run by Cuban-American co-creator Francisco Angones. The series follows the adventures of four ducks finding treasure and solving mysteries with their miserly uncle. Angones had an idea to revitalize the nerdy character of Gizmoduck as a Latino cross between “Peter Parker meets Iron Man” and thought Miranda would be perfect to voice the character. Angones explains, “I wrote the character as if it was Lin-Manuel Miranda and I wrote this letter to him… I said, “Look, I love Disney, I love Marvel, I love superheroes in general, there is not a Latino superhero in the multiplex at all. I want my kids to have one and I can do that.” I knew he had a kid and I told him, “Wouldn’t you like that?” I didn’t know at the time that he was also a massive DuckTales fan.”
Miranda is a huge fan of all things Disney and agreed, and Disney Channel will premiere his episode, “Beware the B.U.D.D.Y. System!” on May 11 on the Disney Channel. Miranda’s first appearance as Fenton Crackshell-Cabrera (of many, it’s assumed) kicks off “Duck Week” for the series, an interactive promotion that will include treasure hunts, events at the various Disney parks, and more.
DuckTales is a landmark series for children who grew up in the ’90s, and when the reboot was announced people were intrigued. Angones has seemed to create a series that honors the original cartoon, and he’s hoping to increase diversity starting with his casting of Miranda. As for Miranda himself, the man hasn’t been shy about his love for the Mouse House – he also worked on the songs for Moana – so this seems like a match made in Heaven.
You can watch Miranda’s turn on Ducktales May 11 and you can actually see Miranda in the Disney feature Mary Poppins Returns in theaters on December 25.