Jim Cummings has spent decades voicing some of Disney’s most recognizable characters — but one of his signature roles is moving on without him.Disney’s long-gestating Darkwing Duck revival has been stuck in development for years, with Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s Point Grey Pictures attached to the project. Updates have been sporadic, but Cummings repeatedly spoke as though he expected to return as Drake Mallard.Credit: DisneyThat changed this week. Speaking to Collider at the Coyote vs. Acme premiere, Cummings said he recorded a pilot “several years ago” that received an enthusiastic response, only to learn the production was now replacing both him and original Launchpad McQuack voice actor Terry McGovern.“They’re hiring somebody else to be Darkwing Duck,” Cummings said. No replacement has been announced, and Disney has not publicly explained the casting change or even formally detailed the revival’s current cast, release date, or platform.Jim Cummings Previously Said He Was Returning as Darkwing DuckThe apparent reversal is particularly notable because Cummings had spent the past year discussing the project as a continuation of the original 1991 series, rather than a total reboot.At San Diego Comic-Con in 2025, Cummings said the new story would feature an older Darkwing and a grown-up Gosalyn. He compared the premise to an older Batman returning to action after years away, suggesting the series would pick up decades after the original adventures.Credit: DisneyHe sounded similarly involved at the 2026 Saturn Awards, telling ScreenRant that “we’ve only recorded basically one offshoot so far” and again discussing Gosalyn’s age. That makes the recast look like a decision made later in development, although neither Disney nor Point Grey has said who made the call.There is also no confirmed connection between Cummings’ removal and his recent friction with Disney. Earlier this month, he publicly highlighted his continued exclusion from the Disney Legends program, posting: “40+ years. 1500+ characters. The voice of generations. No comment.”The response quickly became contentious. As Inside the Magic recently reported, some fans backed Cummings’ frustration, while others resurfaced allegations of sexual and emotional abuse made by his ex-wife during a 2019 custody dispute. Cummings denied those allegations as false and baseless.Credit: DisneyDisney has never said those allegations affected its relationship with Cummings, his Disney Legends status, or Darkwing Duck. Connecting them directly to the recasting would therefore be speculation.Jim Cummings’ Disney History Goes Back Four DecadesCummings’ Disney career began in 1985. He later became the voice of Winnie the Pooh, Darkwing Duck, Pete, Bonkers, Monterey Jack, and Fat Cat, while his film work included Ed in The Lion King, Nessus in Hercules, and Ray in The Princess and the Frog.He also voiced Star Wars pirate Hondo Ohnaka and famously performed portions of Scar’s “Be Prepared” in The Lion King, seamlessly matching Jeremy Irons for parts of the finished song.His relationship with Disney has not exactly ended. While he was recast as Winnie the Pooh for Playdate with Winnie the Pooh, Cummings continued voicing Pete in Mickey Mouse Clubhouse+ through 2026, and he recently returned as the Cheshire Cat for LEGO Disney Princess: Magical Mayhem. He also voiced Darkwing again for Chibiverse in 2025.That makes this less of a clean break with Disney than a very specific recasting of one of Cummings’ most personal roles.What do you think of Disney’s decision to axe Jim Cummings as Darkwing Duck?The post REPORT: Disney Axes Icon Jim Cummings From Iconic Role, Will Recast ASAP appeared first on Inside the Magic.