Summer is finally about to kick off, and with it brings the long-awaited return of the beloved Disney Channel show Phineas and Ferb. Created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh, the animated series revolves around the titular stepbrothers as they celebrate their summer vacation by doing something new every day, often constructing outrageous projects, some of which have included a towering mini-golf course, repairing a time travel machine and their own space rocket, all while their sister tries to stop them. Phineas and Ferb ran for four seasons and got two movies before originally concluding in 2015.

Despite originally concluding with its season 4 finale, it was later announced that Povenmire and Marsh got the greenlight from Disney for two new seasons, beginning with the Phineas and Ferb season 5. Picking up a year after the series finale, the new season sees the titular duo embarking on more grand adventures with their friends, all while Candace continues her quest to bust her brothers. Meanwhile, Perry the Platypus also resumes his work as Agent P for the O.W.C.A. when Dr. Doofenshmirtz elects to come out of retirement and get back to his evildoing.

In honor of the show's return, ScreenRant interviewed Dan Povenmire, Jeff "Swampy" Marsh, Vincent Martella, David Errigo Jr., Alyson Stoner, Ashley Tisdale and Caroline Rhea to discuss Phineas and Ferb season 5. The creative duo reflected on their 10-year journey to bring the show back to the air, as well as Doofenshmirtz's return to evil, and the season's guest stars. Martella, Errigo Jr. and Stoner, meanwhile, expressed their amazement at the life-changing nature of playing their characters for as long as they have, while Tisdale and Rhea offered previews of Candace and Linda's season 5 stories.

Phineas And Ferb's 10-Year Wait Has Led To "Some Of The Best Stuff We've Ever Done"

"...Everybody's On Top Of Their Game..."

While the duo have continued working together since the original show ended, including on the 2020 Disney+ movie Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe, Povenmire and Marsh have been very dedicated to bringing the show back, having offered various updates on social media both prior to and in the years following Disney's two-season pickup. Reflecting on this decade-long journey, Marsh laughed as he called it "drudgery" and "like working in a factory" while Povenmire humorously sang it was "like working in a coal mine, going down, down".

Turning to sincerity, Povenmire beamed as he shared they and the writers room "are just having the best time we've ever had" making Phineas and Ferb. He specifically recalled a story recounted by one of his writers having moved on to "a very high-paying gig" at another studio, but that when she was no longer there "as the industry contracted", they immediately reached out to her and asked, "Can you hold on until we do more Phineas? Because we're going to be doing more Phineas, but it's not starting for six months".

Not only did the writer eagerly reply with "I will not even look for work if I know that's happening", she also turned to Povenmire a few months after work began on the series revival and shared, "The entire time I was at that other studio, I can't laughing until I cried", and that "it happens almost every single day we're at Phineas and Ferb", thanking the co-creator for that.

Povenmire went on to express that the creative team are "just having the best time", and that not only is the writers room "so much fun", but also praising the team for being "on top of their game". "Everybody's personalities and sense of humor all fill in the puzzle pieces of everybody else's," Povenmire shared. "I think it's some of the best stuff we've ever done."

One such thing that Povenmire and Marsh are really excited about with the new Phineas and Ferb episodes is the opportunity to break the show's formula a little more, which includes characters not normally involved in the duo's adventures becoming wrapped up in them. As Povenmire explained, one of the best parts about the showing having a formula is that "you've got people expecting one thing, and if you subvert those expectations, you get humor out of just that". "We're going to a lot of places people are not going to necessarily see coming, and I can't wait for people to see it," Povenmire excitedly shared.

Doofenshmirtz's Return To Evil Has A Very Practical Reason

It Also Won't Impact His Relationship With Vanessa Too Much

Part of the early marketing build up for Phineas and Ferb season 5 was a faux social media post from Dr. Doofenshmirtz saying "Evil again", a stark change from the season 4 finale, in which he gave up evil in order for Vanessa's happiness and to avoid affecting her internship at the O.W.C.A., of where he also becomes a member. As Povenmire points out, Milo Murphy's Law laid some of the groundwork for his return to evil, as he does learn "he's a hero in the future", but ultimately feels that "It's just not working for me right now", thus leading to his decision to "give this one more try".

"He's like, 'Yeah, you know I might do that, but I'm going to try this evil thing. I'm going to give it a little more chance of working'," Povenmire explained in his famous Doofenshmirtz voice. "And I just think he works better as the guy who's trying to get attention through evil schemes, because he's not really doing anything bad, he just wants attention. He wants to better himself, and that's how he's trying to get to it."

Marsh ed in by recalling the humorous parallel between Doofenshmirtz's approach to being a hero and that of his own son when he was learning to read as a kid. "At a certain point it was frustrating him, and he turned to us very confidently one day and said, 'You know what? I'm just going to wait until I can read chapter books'," Marsh explained. "'It doesn't really work... Okay, sure.' [Laughs] But it's Doof, who thought, 'Yeah, but right now, I'm just going to wait'."

Given that part of the motivation behind Doofenshmirtz's retirement from evil was Vanessa's happiness, some may worry this change will impact their relationship in Phineas and Ferb season 5. Povenmire and Marsh assure, though, "they still have a good relationship" in the new season, humorously pointing out a line Vanessa has in which she says, "Oh, we're doing evil again, okay", and regardless of his overall actions, Doofenshmirtz is "always trying to be a good dad to Vanessa".

His life is kind of a mess, but his dad thing, he seems to have his priorities in the right place there.

Phineas And Ferb Season 5 Will Have Some Very Fun Guest Stars

One, In Particular, Proved A Fun Throwback For The Creators

While the show features a roster of some of the biggest character voice actors in the industry, Phineas and Ferb has also often seen some major A-list talent make guest appearances, some of whom have included Ben Stiller, J.K. Simmons and Seth MacFarlane. Some guest stars already confirmed for season 5 include Ted Lasso alum Brendan Hunt and Cristo Fernández, Meghan Trainor, Rhys Darby, Anna Faris, Ruth Negga and Alan Cumming.

When asked about season 5's guest roster, Povenmire itted "I'm not sure who we can tease", but did reveal there are many stars "we were really shocked we were able to get". One star we were excited to talk about was Breaking Bad alum Jonathan Banks, who the co-creator actually pointed to his work in Beverly Hills Cop as being a bigger influence on his casting in the show, while Marsh also recalls "watching him and loving him for years" after The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension.

"I always him having been thrown through the buffet in Beverly Hills Cop, standing there with all that food and stuff on his face," Povenmire shared. "And he told us about shooting that scene, which was really fun. Every time I see him, I think of that guy, and that expression, and how funny it was without trying to be a gag. His reaction was just very real."

Marsh went on to explain that many of the guest stars of the show find "it's always fun" being part of Phineas and Ferb, feeling that they get to "in a completely different way come in and play around with us in animation". The co-creator also reveals that there was one guest star who is a friend with whom their "kids went to school together", and he had a humorous outlook on the show, as it was "the only thing I've done that I can show my children, because I usually play these really horrific, awful characters, killers and whatnot".

"I'm just so happy to come in and play and do silly things."

Marsh also recalled when they brought on Golden Globe nominee Malcolm McDowell for the recurring role of Ferb's paternal grandfather, Grandpa Reginald "Reg" Fletcher, having told the creative team "he wanted to sing a song". "I thought, 'It's the last thing you think of for Malcolm McDowell'," Marsh recalled, "and he just had the best time. So, it's fun getting people to come in and do something a little bit unexpected."

Martella, Errigo Jr. & Stoner Have Enjoyed "An Unbelievably Incredible Experience" With The Show

"...Now, We Can Imbue The Characters And Moments Between Characters With New Perspectives..."

Povenmire and Marsh aren't the only important figures returning for Phineas and Ferb season 5, as the entire original cast are back reprising their various roles in the show. This includes Disney Channel vets Vincent Martella and Alyson Stoner, who have both been with the show as Phineas and Isabella since it first premiered in 2007. Stoner began by sharing "it has been the deepest pleasure and joy" to be part of the Phineas and Ferb cast, while also denoting how they and Martella "literally did grow up on the show".

...I am excited about the range of emotions that the new season explores, for at least Isabella.

The Isabella star went on to explain that the opportunity to revisit the characters in a series-length format a decade later allowed them to "imbue the characters and moments between characters with new perspectives" from their "life experiences". Going on to praise "the writing team, the animation team, the audio engineering team, music team" for their work on "the connective beauty" of the new season, Stoner expressed their delight in "participating in something that has brought so much joy to actual millions of people", and that it is "remarkable that it never really had a dip in response from fans".

Martella echoed Stoner's feelings by calling it "an unbelievably incredible experience" working on the show, particularly given he's "been playing Phineas for almost 20 years", and that the role "means so, so much to me". He also pointed out how on Disney+, "it's always one of the most-watched TV shows on the streaming service", further showcasing its ongoing interest from fans. One unique element to come from the show is seeing "your characters walking around at Disneyland and Disney World", including a Disney Channel night he attended with Errigo Jr., where the Phineas and Ferb mascots "were there doing a dance party".

"Seeing your characters there is really surreal, but then, for me, even more, I was hearing music I sang at Disneyland," Martella recalled. "I was hearing my voice in Tomorrowland and on Main Street. To be able to have played this character and sang so many wonderful songs for this character, I can't tell you how much it means to me. It really is amazing. I hope I get to play Phineas for 15 more years. I love it."

Errigo Jr. who began playing Ferb in Milo Murphy's Law, humorously recalled his wish to have "been able to capture that on video", being wowed by Martella as "there really was something special in his face when he sort of clocked that that was happening". The Ferb actor went on to agree with Martella and Stoner's sentiments as he called the show "one of the great pleasures and challenges of my professional existence".

Broadly, the goal is to stay the same, while obviously still honoring any new content, but it's keeping him as himself.

While Ferb is generally known for his non-verbal nature, Errigo Jr. assured that coming into the role, his goal is "not to necessarily bring anything new" to the character, but instead being driven to "make sure that Ferb is Ferb". The star also praised Marsh and Povenmire for being "such great shepherds for me to keep on that path", while also revealing there to be a line from his first performance as the character in Milo Murphy's Law as being a helpful tool for getting him back into the character.

"I have a phrase that I'll drop back into from the Milo Murphy's crossover, which is, 'Oh. I'm sorry, did you want to say that? It's just that it's been a long time'," Errigo Jr. explained, "and that's sort of like my anchor point. If I feel like I'm getting a little off voice, or out of character, I kind of just drop back into that sentence before I roll into my line, and it puts me right back on that sort of straight and narrow. Broadly, the goal is to stay the same, while obviously still honoring any new content, but it's keeping him as himself."

Looking to the future of the show, the trio were all very excited about the prospect of where Phineas and Ferb could go after its already confirmed season 6. Stoner eagerly teased that, in the episodes they've already filmed, Ferb gets to sing a little more in comparison to the original show. Errigo Jr. and Martella, meanwhile, both shared their hopes to "get season 26", and invited fans to tune into the new episodes to help it happen.

Ashley Tisdale's Pregnancy Made Season 5's Recording A Unique Challenge For Her

"This Is Not Mommy In Real Life."

Also ing Martella, Stoner and Errigo Jr. in the returning Phineas and Ferb cast list are that of Ashley Tisdale as Candace and Caroline Rhea as the Flynn-Fletcher family matriarch, Linda. During prior promotion for the series, Tisdale indicated having asked Marsh and Povenmire not to have to scream as Candace during season 5's production, due to the fact she was pregnant at the time and thus didn't want to scare the baby. As she humorously shared with us, however, she was "still screaming", but the creators/showrunners haven't asked her to do multiple scream takes in a long time.

"I won't have to do take after take because they're like, 'We have a whole library of screams'," Tisdale shared with a chuckle. "That's been happening for years, since we've been doing it for 18 years. Like 10 years ago, they were like, 'We don't need the screams. We've got your screaming.' They have years of that."

All the same, Candace's rambunctious nature still required Tisdale to "definitely still get up there" with her voice. As to what kind of preparation or vocal lessons she goes through, the star revealed she prefers "I don't ever come in prepared for work" or "read the scripts" ahead of time, finding it to be "part of the genius of the character". "I thought I was tricking Dan and Swampy, but they were like, 'No, we knew that you didn't read the script, but there's something that's really fresh when you just read it right there, and you're able to just throw things at it'," Tisdale said with a laugh.

Tisdale went on to explain feeling that there's "this limitless thing" with Candace and "this kind of craziness that I don't tap into in any other character I've really played", making it even better for her to do her recordings off-the-cuff. She did also acknowledge that "being pregnant this time was interesting" compared to prior seasons of the show, sharing she "was definitely nervous about my baby inside being like, 'Mom is crazy, what is going on out there?'". She would, however, have little conversations with her baby before recording, assuring, "Mommy's going to work, this is not mommy in real life".

Another unique challenge being pregnant brought Tisdale was that she "was sick a lot" for Phineas and Ferb season 5's recordings, also due to having "a four-year-old who also gets me really sick". This, Tisdale its, led to Candace sounding "congested a lot this season", particularly since pregnant women are "already congested" without being sick, and thus it was "interesting trying to figure out how to work through all of those things this year".

In spite of her vocal challenges, though, Phineas and Ferb season 5 presented Tisdale to pick Candace up right from where the original series finale left her, "back to her old ways" of trying to bust her brothers. Even with stories like Candace Saves The Universe showcasing a potential leniency for the brothers, Tisdale explains that "summer triggers Candace", giving her a renewed motivation of "I will not give up until my mom sees this stuff", even in spite of those emotional moments.

I feel like it's one of those things where I think, obviously, we've seen those moments where there's a love for Phineas and Ferb, and there's a sweetness there, and it's those moments that I love to play, because it's so opposite of what we do all the time. I think she has those kind of [moments] of like, "Oh, there's a real person in there."

Rhea Has An Interesting Approach To How She Plays Linda's Obliviousness

She Also Has Some Thoughts On Linda & Doofenshmirtz's Potential Reunion

Much like the original show, Phineas and Ferb season 5 still finds Candace trying and failing to get Linda to witness the boys' creations before a mysterious force, typically one of Doofenshmirtz's inators, wipes them away, though Rhea does tease this season will finally see her "get involved, kind of" in at least one adventure. As to Linda's general obliviousness to the boys' actions, Rhea explains that her approach to her vocal work is "I've convinced myself that what I've seen I haven't seen, because it's how I exist in this reality".

"It's like, 'It wasn't a giant tractor. You're very tired. Pickleball was hard today. Candace is crazy, and that's okay, and you love her'," Rhea says with a chuckle. "You know what I mean? So, I think she's sort of always like this. But it was fun. It was fun actually being part of seeing what she sees."

With her now being a part of the adventures, the door also seems open for Linda and Doofenshmirtz to have a reunion in Phineas and Ferb's future, with a prior episode revealing them to have gone on a date at some point in the past. After acknowledging that the theory Doofenshmirtz is Phineas' dad is "so funny," Rhea shared her thoughts on what that reunion would look like between the two, feeling "she'd be very polite" to the villain, but also find herself worried, thinking, "Here's another lunatic, and I will remain calm and offer him some pie".

Rhea did, however, also share her own twist on Lindana and Doofenshmirtz's past, wondering if "maybe she was madly in love with him" when they first knew each other. While careful not to share any spoilers about the new season, the star did also tease that there's "a fantastic character" coming this season who might serve as something of a bridge between the two worlds, promising fans "will love her".

More About Phineas And Ferb

Phineas and Ferb follows the inventive stepbrothers as they tackle another 104 days of summer. Candace is more determined than ever to finally bust her little brothers, while their pet platypus, Perry, continues to lead a double life as the suave “Agent P,” whose sole mission is to thwart Dr. Doofenshmirtz from taking over the Tri-State Area.

Phineas and Ferb season 5 premieres on Disney Channel on June 5 at 8 p.m. EST, followed by Disney+ on June 6, with new episodes airing Wednesdays!

Source: ScreenRant Plus