DuckTales Star Danny Pudi Breaks Down This Weekend’s Huey-Centric Episode

When Disney announced a few years ago that it would be rebooting DuckTales for a modern audience, fans of the original series might have shrugged it off, wondering why a new take on the franchise was necessary. However, any fears about the reboot were quickly dispelled once it aired on Disney XD. The series is widely loved by fans both new and old, largely due to the strength of its voice cast and the detailed way in which it explores the lives of Huey, Dewey, and Louie. The series is currently in its third season, and a lot of the focus has been on Huey, who is voiced by Danny Pudi. ComicBook.com sat down with Pudi ahead of the show’s newest episode this Saturday, to talk about the direction of his character, and why this episode will be such a treat for fans.

“It’s interesting. In Season 1, I think a lot of the focus was on Dewey and finding their mom,” Pudi told us. “Season 2 was much about Louie and figuring out what he wanted to do with his life. And Season 3 seems to be about Hubert, Hubot, whatever you want to call him. His attempts at figuring out himself, but also how to help the family. Right? It’s been nice, early on especially. I think the difference here with Huey is that a lot of people would say that he has these robotic tendencies, but I think he’s actually very expressive. He is frequently screaming, panicking, emoting quite a bit. But it’s a lot about him managing what’s going on internally, including his imagination in the first couple episodes.”

In this weekend’s new episode, “Astro B.O.Y.D.”, Huey meets a new friend named Boyd, who audiences will immediately recognize as a robot. Huey, however, simply sees him as another young person, one who understands him better than everyone else.

“In this next episode coming up, which I just love, it is truly about Huey trying to fit in,” Pudi continued. “With Boyd, there is this immediate connection. But I think there is that whole, ‘What is a real boy, what does definitely a real boy need? And how does Huey connect?’

“He very much loves a plan, he’s methodical. But when things go off the rails, which they frequently do because that’s what DuckTales does, it’s all about Huey figuring out how he can live without the JWG, without the guidebook. How he can find balance.”

“Astro B.O.Y.D.” also features performances from two recurring DuckTales guest stars, Jim Rash and Lin-Manuel Miranda. As many TV fans know, Pudi and Rash have been connected through their screen work for some time now, both starring in the hit NBC sitcom Community.

“This episode specifically, is just such a fun one for me because I get to be a lot with Gearloose and with Fenton,” said Pudi. “It’s with Jim Rash, who is my buddy who now I’ve been on two shows with, and it was incredible. And with Lin-Manuel. Being with these guys virtually, is pretty special. But I think this episode is a little bit about Huey growing up. I think that’s what happens a lot in season three with Huey. You start to see him grow up a little bit.”

“Astro B.O.Y.D.” will air on Disney XD and DisneyNOW on Saturday, May 2nd at 9:30 am ET/PT.