Marvel’s Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur: Cast, Producers Interview

Marvel has dominated pop culture for 15 years, but it wouldn’t be such a strong brand if it didn’t have its animation board. like cartoons X-Men And Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes helped define Marvel in the eyes of viewers. But many in recent years Marvel cartoons have focused on established or then-rising MCU stars to remind young audiences through shows like their favorite movie superheroes Marvel’s Spider-Man And What if…?.

Moon Maiden & Devil Dinosaur, premiering on February 10th, it breaks with the trend of more recent animated Marvel outings. It’s the first “original” Marvel cartoon in years, in the sense that it doesn’t pre-empt any cinematic plans for the title characters (at least the ones we currently know) and is allowed to stand as a separate thing. Not that it ultimately matters: the new Marvel cartoon is really good on its own and is a nice breath of fresh air for Marvel’s animation board. With an eye-catching art style and a delightfully fun energy, the show has the potential to resonate with audiences and introduce them to a new hero who really thrives in the specialized field of animation.

Based on the comics of the same name by Amy Reeder, Brandon Montclare and Natacha Bustos, Moon Maiden & Devil Dinosaur focuses on New York teenager Lunella Lafayette. Dubbed the smartest person alive, Lunella takes it upon herself to find a solution to a series of power outages affecting her neighborhood and her family in particular, and accidentally opens a portal that closes a giant red T.Rex brings the modern day. After bonding with the T.Rex named Devil, Lunella decides to use the Dino to become a dynamic crime-fighting superhero duo.

Ahead of the show’s premiere, io9 spoke with Executive Producer Steve Loter and Executive Producer Rodney Clouden, as well as cast members Diamond White (Lunella/Moon Girl), Fred Tatasciore (Devil Dinosaur), Gary Anthony Williams (Pops Lafayette) and Libe Barer ( casey).

Justin Carter, i09: Diamond, what were your assumptions about Lunella when you first got the role compared to how you actually voiced them during the first season?

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diamond white: At first I thought Lunella was like many superheroes, omnipotent and invincible. But after seeing that she was just a 13-year-old girl who is just as insecure about things in life as everyone else, I found her endearing. That’s ultimately what drew me to the character – even with her genius and her devil, she’s still relatable and real.

io9: Fred, you’ve played so many Marvel characters over the years, like the Hulk and the Beast. What was the process of bringing Devil to life since he doesn’t communicate like everyone else?

Tatasciore: It was a fun artistic challenge because it’s all about sounds and spirit. I have an idea of ​​what the line is, we’re coming in with the traditional dinosaur sounds and trying to soften it without going too far. In this way, he ends up having an emotional conversation with Lunella. It was fun saying “Lunella, I’m really worried about you!” To [dinosaur growls] and to be able to add some emotion to that tone. It’s been a really fun marriage for me to do it this way.

io9: Diamond and Fred, how was it shaping the dynamic between the two, especially since a lot of it is based on visual elements or that Lunella has to interpret Devils grunts or growls?

Tatasciore: The relationship between Lunella and Devil is based on great trust. He committed to her because he loved that she could interpret his grunts and growls so easily. That was love and that’s why he’s so loyal to her as a family member. That and hot dogs.

White: Definitely hot dogs. [laughs]

io9: Gary, you’ve been in the voice acting block for years, but I think the characters you’re best known for were pretty much larger than life. Does Pops feel more grounded than the previous roles you’ve played?

Gary Anthony Williams: Pops definitely does, but what I love about him is the whole thing [Lafayette] family connection. Compared to some of the roles I’ve played where it was just an odd character, it was fun to embrace the love and acceptance of that whole family. He has his wild times, believe me, but when it comes down to it, his core of love and caring for his family is great.

io9: Casey is Lunella’s best friend and was created specifically for the show. For your relationship, Libe, what did you both resort to to make your friendship feel authentic, or was it something that clicked instantly for both of you?

Free cash: From the start, the creators wanted Casey and Lunella’s friendship to feel as real and authentic as possible, so they had Diamond and I record it together. They wanted us to play and riff each other. And they also wanted it to feel messy, like some kind of “PEN15 for cartoons, which I was very fond of in middle school.

When Diamond and I walked into the dressing room together, it felt really special. Sometimes we would stumble over things and these really awkward 13 year old moments would come out. Also, Diamond and I just get along really well, so it was fun! There is much friendship in love there for us as well as for Lunella and Casey.

io9: Lunella is a fairly young character, which means she relies on her friends and family more than if she were an adult superhero. What was it like for the two of you playing these two important members of your inner circle, and what was it about your characters that you really got to work with?

Williams: For Pops, I got a lot out of the family connection. I come from a large family; I have six sisters, two brothers and cousins ​​are family to me. So the show is really about family, which then becomes community? That’s what drew me to Pops, there’s true love in the Lafayette family.

Bear: The same thing happened to me. I have a large Mexican and Jewish family and it is so important to both sides of my culture. And I also think that another important family is your adopted family. People talk about it becoming more important as you get older, but I think as a kid you make some of those important friends and family connections. I know it was like that for me growing up where some of my best friends in real life are still some of my best friends from high school. They are truly friends and family to me, and I’ve loved creating that friendship-family dynamic with Lunella and Casey.

io9: For Rodney and Steve, the Marvel cartoons that came before moon girl were all quite connected from the start, but this show exists in its own world. There are Avengers, but it’s not clear who those Avengers even are. Was that freedom something you envisioned from the start, and how did that affect the villains and characters you were allowed to use?

Rodney Clouden: We really get the leeway to make these characters our own by bringing them into our style and making them a little bit funky. It’s a lot more fun, and Marvel is a great partner in letting us play around with their legacy.

Steve Lotter: Marvel has been a great collaborator on the series and we’re all fans of the MCU. We consider moon girl to be “complementary” to this universe – you will see characters from the films. But you’ll also see a lot of deep cuts, characters from the comics that never made it into film, television or any other medium. It was great to be able to bring all these types of characters to life.

We start in the first few episodes by establishing Lunella Lafayette and her world and making her a central part of it. But as the series progresses, we’re bringing in more Marvel elements to enhance the story.

io9: Steve, you have been in the animation industry for years and have worked on shows such as American dragon And Kim Possible. What did you take away from your time on these shows? moon girl?

Lotter: I have worked on many shows but one thing that has always stayed is my love for music. In my spare time I am a music collector and music nerd. To be able to do a show where the music is so infused into the visuals, the action and the writing is just so special to me. I feel like animators are all music video directors at heart, so the music on this show feels unique to me compared to other things I’ve done in the past.

io9: Lunella is coming to the whole world as Marvel shines a spotlight on Black characters, especially those in STEM like Shuri and Riri Williams. How do you think Lunella contributes to this larger legacy?

Cloud: With this show, Lunella’s appearance creates more visibility and inclusivity when it comes to seeing black girls in science and STEM. You don’t always see that, so it’s important to have a character like her who can inspire little black kids.

Lotter: Lunella Lafayette is the first African American teenage superheroine in the Marvel Universe to be so animated. It’s a really important moment and we just hope the audience loves them as much as we do.

Moon Maiden & Devil Dinosaur Premiered February 10 on Disney Channel, followed by its arrival on Disney+ beginning February 15.

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