Marvel has had a variety of great shows since it started up the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with some being in the realm of live-action while others were delivered in animation. While not everything has landed, there have been some stellar high points, including shows like Loki, Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight, and, most recently, Wonder Man. One of Marvel’s best shows, however, made its debut 2 years ago today, and as one of its most underrated shows, it absolutely deserves a new season.
On February 10th, 2023, the world of Marvel Television was introduced to the animated series Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, which brought the lovable duo from the comics to the small screen. It wasn’t just a straight-up translation though, as Jeffrey M. Howard, Steve Loter, and Kate Kondell brought so much in the way of personality, culture, and style to Lunella and Devil Dinosaur’s world. The series was beyond charming, and though it embraced the big superhero action from the comics, it also made sure to balance that with character development and genuine heart, all while adding in bombastic performances from a stellar cast. The show was cancelled after season 2, but it more than deserved a season 3, and we’d still love to see it happen one day.
Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur Is Still One of Marvel’s Best Shows
Image courtesy of Marvel Animation
Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur stacked the show with a stellar cast right from the start, and it was anchored by the talented duo of Diamond White (Moon Girl) and Fred Tatasciore (Devil Dinosaur). Despite Devil Dinosaur not actually speaking words, Tatasciore’s vocal performance and the animation’s delightful expressions created an adorable character that still radiated off the screen.
The show surrounded Lunella and Devil Dinosaur with a fantastic family unit and supporting cast, who all became just as intrinsic to the series as Lunella and Devil Dinosaur. Alfre Woodard’s Mimi and Libe Barer’s Casey were vital to creating interesting scenarios for Lunella, and they also had their own compelling character arcs as the series went on.
Sasheer Zamata’s Adria, Gary Anthony Williams’ Pops, Jermaine Fowler’s James Jr., and Michael Cimino’s Eduardo also had important parts to play during the series, but the show also hit home runs with its guest stars, especially when Laurence Fishburne stepped into the shoes of The Beyonder and delivered an all-time performance.
The series also felt wholly unique amongst Marvel’s other output at the time, and retained its own distinct personality while still feeling like it was tied to the Marvel universe. The world felt alive, and the characters leaped off the screen, so much so that at several points I wanted nothing more than the show’s crew of characters to make their way to the live-action MCU, and frankly, that could and should still be done.
These characters would make the MCU better by simply existing within it, and the promise of characters like Lunella meeting Reed Richards or Devil Dinosaur trying to walk into Avengers Headquarters while Casey tries to keep up with the social media reaction to their battle in real time is immense.
The show also resonated with critics and audiences alike. On Rotten Tomatoes, season 1 holds a perfect 100% critics’ score and a 91% audience score, and while season 2 only had 3 critic reviews, the audience score was even higher at 93%.
Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur was a true gem of Marvel’s last few years, and it was cancelled far too soon. If Marvel is looking at possibly bringing some things back in the next era, one would hope that Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur might be considered, because it was truly one of Marvel’s most special projects thus far.
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