Why the WWE Scooby Doo movies are actually the weirdest, best thing to happen to wrestling

Why the WWE Scooby Doo movies are actually the weirdest, best thing to happen to wrestling

Honestly, if you told a wrestling fan in the late nineties that the Undertaker would eventually be outsmarted by a talking Great Dane, they’d have probably assumed you’d taken one too many chair shots to the head. But here we are. The WWE Scooby Doo movies exist. They aren't just a fever dream brought on by bad catering or a weird licensing fluke; they are two legitimate, feature-length animated films that bridged the gap between the squared circle and the Mystery Machine.

It started back in 2014. Warner Bros. and WWE Studios decided to mash their brands together. The result was Scooby-Doo! WrestleMania Mystery. It sounds like a disaster on paper. It really does. You have the Mystery Inc. gang—Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy, and Scooby—winning tickets to WrestleMania City. Yes, a city built entirely around wrestling. It’s as ridiculous as it sounds, and yet, it kind of works. The film features a ghost bear. Not just any bear, but a "Beast" that threatens to ruin the main event.

The strange logic of the WWE Scooby Doo movies

What makes these films fascinating is how they treat the wrestlers. In the first movie, John Cena isn't just a character; he’s a superhero who can literally stop a speeding boulders with his bare hands. He’s voiced by himself, alongside other stars like Triple H, The Miz, and Kane. There is a specific kind of charm in hearing Triple H argue with a cartoon dog about the importance of a championship belt.

The sequel, Scooby-Doo! and WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon, released in 2016, took things even further. Instead of a standard wrestling ring, it pivoted to an off-road racing theme. Why? Because Scooby-Doo movies love a good chase scene, and WWE loves selling merchandise. This one brought in The Undertaker, who, staying true to his "Deadman" persona, is treated with a level of reverence that borders on the hilarious. He’s mysterious. He’s brooding. He’s also racing a monster truck against Dusty Rhodes and Sheamus.

The animation style is vibrant, handled by Warner Bros. Animation, so it doesn't feel like a cheap direct-to-video cash grab. It feels like a Scooby-Doo episode that just happens to feature a lot of muscle-bound men in spandex.

Why kids (and weirdly, adults) actually liked them

Nostalgia is a powerful drug. For parents who grew up watching the original Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! and kids who were currently obsessed with John Cena, these movies were a perfect storm. They didn't take themselves seriously. They leaned into the campiness of professional wrestling.

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Take the "Ghost Bear" from the first film. The mystery follows the classic Scooby formula: a monster appears, the gang investigates, and eventually, the mask comes off. Without spoiling a decade-old cartoon, the culprit is exactly who you’d expect if you’ve ever watched a single episode of Monday Night Raw. The crossover worked because WWE is essentially a live-action cartoon anyway. The characters have "finishing moves," they wear costumes, and they have clear-cut good guy/bad guy dynamics.

The cast: Who showed up to record?

WWE didn't just lend the names; they sent the talent to the recording booth.

  • John Cena: The primary protagonist who saves the gang multiple times.
  • The Undertaker: The looming presence in the second film.
  • Triple H and Stephanie McMahon: Portrayed as the authority figures running the show.
  • The Miz: Used mostly for comic relief, which he excels at.
  • Vince McMahon: Yes, the former chairman himself voiced his animated counterpart, complete with his signature growl.

There were some notable absences and oddities, though. CM Punk was originally slated to be in the first film but left the company before its release. His character was largely scrubbed or replaced. These movies serve as a time capsule of the WWE roster during the mid-2010s. You see stars like Sin Cara and Brodus Clay—wrestlers who aren't really in the spotlight anymore—immortalized in ink and paint.

Breaking down the plot absurdity

In Curse of the Speed Demon, the stakes are supposedly a massive racing prize. But the real joy is seeing the pairings. You have Shaggy and Scooby teaming up with The Undertaker. It’s the ultimate "odd couple" dynamic. The Undertaker is trying to maintain his dark, macabre aura while Scooby is trying to find a snack.

It’s also worth noting the "Scooby-Doo! WrestleMania Mystery" soundtrack. It features actual WWE entrance themes. Hearing "The Time is Now" kick in during a cartoon action sequence is jarring in the best possible way.

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Are there more coming?

Currently, there are no official plans for a third installment in the WWE Scooby Doo movies franchise. WWE’s partnership strategy has shifted toward different types of media, and Scooby-Doo has moved on to other crossovers, like the one with Courage the Cowardly Dog. However, these two films remain a staple on streaming services like Max and are frequently revisited by fans of "ironic" cinema.

They represent a specific era of WWE's "PG Version" where they desperately wanted to be a lifestyle brand for families. They succeeded, perhaps more than people give them credit for. The movies are competent, funny, and deeply, deeply strange.

Critical reception and the "so bad it's good" factor

Critics didn't exactly give these films Oscars. They were viewed as what they are: marketing tools. But within the wrestling community, they are remembered fondly because they didn't try to change the wrestlers' personalities. Kane was still a terrifying monster; he just happened to be in a scene with a talking dog.

The logic is thin. The physics are non-existent. The dialogue is cheesy.
But that's the point.

How to watch them today

If you’re looking to dive into this weird corner of pop culture, both films are widely available.
Scooby-Doo! WrestleMania Mystery is the better "mystery" of the two.
Scooby-Doo! and WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon is better if you just want to see pure animated chaos.

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They are often sold as a double-feature pack on DVD, which is probably the most "2010s" thing you could own.

Actionable insights for the curious viewer

If you're planning a marathon, keep these things in mind:

  • Watch for cameos: Look in the background of the crowd scenes. Many "lower-tier" wrestlers who didn't get speaking roles are drawn into the stands.
  • Pay attention to the move sets: The animators actually did a decent job of recreating the wrestlers' real-life finishers. Seeing an animated "Attitude Adjustment" is a trip.
  • Check the release dates: These films coincide with specific WWE eras. You can tell exactly when they were made based on who has a championship belt and who is still "together" as a tag team.

The legacy of these movies isn't that they were high art. It's that they proved WWE could play in any sandbox and still feel like WWE. Whether you're a die-hard fan or just someone who likes seeing Scooby-Doo get confused by a suplex, they are worth a ninety-minute sit-down.

Next Steps for the Ultimate Fan Experience:

  1. Locate a copy of WrestleMania Mystery on a streaming platform like Max or Amazon.
  2. Look for the "making of" featurettes on the physical DVDs; they show the wrestlers in the recording booth, which is often funnier than the movie itself.
  3. Compare the character designs to the 2026 WWE roster to see just how much the "look" of a pro wrestler has evolved over the last decade.