Matthew Lillard Says the 'Ultra Instinct Shaggy' Meme is Canon

ign.com:

At San Diego Comic-Con 2022, Matthew Lillard confirmed that the "Ultra Instinct Shaggy" meme is indeed canon.

During a panel focusing on MultiVersus, the upcoming free-to-play crossover fighting game with characters from various properties owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, when asked about the meme, Lillard confirmed that the meme had been added to the official canon.

"While it's a meme, it's actually canon," Lillard said. "In the movie, there's that bar fight scene. There was the Mortal Kombat animated movie last year, and it was connected to that." The Mortal Kombat movie Lillard is referencing is Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms, in which Shaggy appears in the Warner Bros. Animation intro.

The Ultra Instinct Shaggy meme has been around for years. As KnowYourMeme notes, the origin dates back to 2017 after a YouTuber created a remix of Shaggy from the 2011 animated film Scooby-Doo! Legend of the Phantosaur. And the meme was added into MultiVersus, where his character bio reveals that Shaggy possesses "incredible powers."

Outside of confirmation that "Ultra Instinct Shaggy" is canon, the MultiVersus SDCC panel also confirmed three new characters are joining the roster: LeBron James, Morty Smith, and Rick Sanchez. We saw some gameplay of LeBron, with the character being available starting July 26. Morty Smith will be playable starting August 9, while Rick Sanchez's release date has yet to be announced.

Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.