Summary
Mark Hamill is in the cast of the upcoming 2025SpongeBob SquarePantsmovie, and he’s replacing an O.G. voice actor who’s been with the show since season 1. Set to arrive in theaters on June 29, 2025,The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePantswill see SpongeBob journeying deep into the ocean to battle the ghost of the Flying Dutchman. It’ll be the fourth feature-length entry in theSpongeBob SquarePantsfranchise. The movie was first announced at Paramount Pictures’ CinemaCon panel in 2023, butScreen Ranthas learned a lot of new details about the project at San Diego Comic-Con.
Among the tantalizing reveals about the movie at Comic-Con is the news that Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill, has joined the voice cast in a major role. All the main cast members from the series are reprising their roles in the upcoming film: Tom Kenny as SpongeBob, Bill Fagerbakke as Patrick, Rodger Bumpass as Squidward, Clancy Brown as Mr. Krabs, Carolyn Lawrence as Sandy, and Mr. Lawrence as Plankton. But one key voice actor who’s been around since the very first season of the show is being replaced by Hamill.
SpongeBob SquarePants' 2025 Movie Is Recasting Brian Doyle-Murray As The Flying Dutchman With Mark Hamill
Brian Doyle-Murray has voiced the Flying Dutchman since 1999
TheSpongeBobpanel at Comic-Con has revealed thatHamill will be playing the ghost of the Flying DutchmaninThe SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants. The Flying Dutchman has been a recurring villain on the TV series since its very first season. He made his debut in season 1, episode 13, “Scaredy Pants” (the first segment), in which he torments SpongeBob for dressing as a ghost on Halloween. In that episode,the Flying Dutchman was voiced by Brian Doyle-Murray – the brother of Bill Murray – and he’s been voiced by Doyle-Murray ever since then.
But now, he’ll be voiced by Mark Hamill in the new movie. Hamill has some pretty big boots to fill; Doyle-Murray has one of the most distinctively gruff voices in Hollywood. He’s recognizable as Noah Vanderhoff fromWayne’s World, Buster Green fromGroundhog Day, and the Bubble Boy’s father fromSeinfeld. His voice is unmistakable as that of the Flying Dutchman, and he’s been playing the part flawlessly for a quarter of a century. He’ll be a tough act to follow when Hamill steps into the role.
The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePantswill be directed by series veteran Derek Drymon.
Mark Hamill Has Already Proven How Perfect He’ll Be As The Flying Dutchman’s New Voice Actor
Hamill premiered the voice live at Comic-Con
While it would normally be bad news to hear that an iconic role has been recast, in this case, there’s nothing to worry about:Hamill debuted his Flying Dutchman voice live on stage for Comic-Con attendees, and we can confirm it’s spot-on. It’s a shame that Doyle-Murray is being replaced, but much like the new voices of Rick and Morty, it’ll be hard to tell the difference, because Hamill’s impression is uncanny.Hamill is such a prolific voice actor that he’d be renowned for his voice work alone if he’d never played Lukein theStar Warssaga.
Hamill’s portrayal of the Joker is second only to Heath Ledger’s; it’s so pitch-perfect that he’s been recruited to play the Crown Prince of Crime across all kinds of different media, from animation to video games. He also voiced Merlin inWing Commander, Fire Lord Ozai inAvatar: The Last Airbender, Skeletor inMasters of the Universe: Revelation, and the Mayor of Pejite in the English dub ofNausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Suffice to say, his voice acting credentials are pretty impressive. He’ll make an awesome replacement as the Flying Dutchman inthe newSpongeBobmovie.
Mark Hamill Already Plays A Different Character In SpongeBob’s Universe
This won’t be Hamill’s first role in the SpongeBob SquarePants franchise
This won’t be the first time that Hamill has voiced a character in theSpongeBob SquarePantsfranchise. In season 5, episode 8, “Night Light” (the second segment),Hamill voiced The Moth. The Moth is Mermaid Man’s arch-nemesis, who he’s been hunting down for 57 years. The episode culminated in a hilarious punchline: SpongeBob trapped The Moth in the very lighthouse he was drawn to, but then The Moth flew off with the lighthouse and told Mermaid Man he’d see him in another 57 years (a punchline that Hamill, of course, nailed).
Since The Moth only had a speaking role in that one episode, it’s not too big of a deal that Hamill is returning to voice another character in theSpongeBob SquarePantsuniverse. Plus, as a seasoned voice actor, Hamill makes himself unrecognizable in each role he takes on, so the layman won’t even notice that the new Flying Dutchman has the same voice as The Moth. It’ll be interesting to see what Hamill does with the role that Doyle-Murray made iconic when he plays the Flying Dutchman in the nextSpongeBob SquarePantsmovie.
The SpongeBob Movie: Search for Squarepants
Cast
The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants follows SpongeBob as he embarks on an underwater adventure to the ocean depths, confronting the ghostly Flying Dutchman. This 2025 release continues the beloved series' tradition of humor and undersea escapades.
