Jeff Hays to voice Princess Donut in Peacock series

The first major casting for the upcoming "Dungeon Crawler Carl" television series was announced on July 23, 2026, with audiobook narrator Jeff Hays confirmed to voice the fan-favorite character Princess Donut. The announcement was made by author Matt Dinniman during a spotlight panel at San Diego Comic-Con. Hays, who has narrated all eight existing audiobooks in the popular series, will reprise his vocal performance for the beloved Persian cat in the live-action adaptation slated for Peacock.

The series, which was officially ordered by Peacock in June 2026, is being produced by Universal Global Television and Seth MacFarlane’s Fuzzy Door Productions. Matt Yost serves as writer and executive producer, with MacFarlane, Erica Huggins, and Rachel Hargreaves-Heald also executive producing. Dinniman is a co-executive producer on the project. The show will adapt Dinniman's bestselling novels, which follow Carl, a U.S. Coast Guard veteran, and his ex-girlfriend's cat, Princess Donut, as they are forced to compete in a deadly, televised intergalactic game show after an alien invasion.

Hays's casting provides a direct link between the television series and the audiobooks, which have been...