Saturday at D23 Expo, Disney and executive producer Laurence Fishburne granted a small audience a look at the pilot for Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur. Joined by some key creative talent, Fishburne deferred to co-producer Jeffrey M. Howard who asked the audience not to “…reveal any spoilers.”
Is it a spoiler to say that this is a sharp, vibrant pilot, one of the best animated shows I’ve seen in years*? And that it fulfills the possibilities Fishburne clearly saw in the comic book, originally created by Brandon Montclare, Amy Reeder, and artist Natacha Bustos? You could hear it every time he spoke about it, the sheer joy he has in the role model Lunella Lafayette can be for young girls. The actor/producer clearly didn’t want to just entertain; he wanted to inspire.
There’s no doubt that it will. This show actively promotes science without being pedantic about it. As Howard wanted to reflect the cultural vibrancy of the neighborhoods he grew up in, the colors pop. The music carries the story forward. Though not the first to do this in animation (for instance, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse), the textures of the art lend so much depth. And without hitting anybody over the head with it, Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur also portrays a healthy family dynamic, and the power of community.
That’s all before getting to the other title character, that Devil Dinosaur. Voiced by Fred Tatasciore, the red behemoth will lumber into your heart.
They’re not exactly the same as their comic book counterparts. Lunella (Diamond White) has been aged up from 9 to 13, but that also provides more opportunity for middle school shenanigans. Though she references other Marvel characters as existing, Moon Girl clearly sees herself as the reluctant superhero her neighborhood needs, because no other heroes pay attention. Meeting Devil takes a different form here, one that illustrates what a genius Lunella is, rather than tying her into a larger story.
But the pilot also leaves plenty of questions unresolved, all the better to keep us coming back. Currently due to land on the Disney Channel and Disney+ in early 2023, Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur will have kids roaring for more.
*No slight to Kid Cosmic on Netflix, nor Primal on Adult Swim and HBO Max.
