Marvel Entertainment officially announced Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur as an animated series headed for the Disney Channel in 2020. The news was announced at the Disney Television Animation panel at Disney’s D23 Expo. The show will be a collaboration between Disney Television Animation and Cinema Gypsy Productions.
Cinema Gypsy Productions, Laurence Fishburne and Helen Sugland’s development company, will serve as executive producers in addition to Disney TV Animation, Marvel Animation & Family Entertainment, and Steve Loter (Kim Possible). Jeff Howard (Planes) and Kate Kondell (The Pirate Fairy) will serve as co-producers and story editors.
Fishburne was given the honor of announcing the show, saying, “As an avid comic book fan, I am thrilled to be involved with Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur. Disney Channel is the perfect platform to explore this pint-sized female African-American superhero and I can’t wait for their audience to enjoy the lighthearted adventures of Lunella and Devil Dinosaur.”
The story will likely focus on the 2016 Marvel comic run of the same name, Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, which “follow[ed] the adventures of 13-year-old Lunella Lafayette – one of the smartest people in the world, although not everyone believes her – and Devil, her pet dinosaur, who arrived in the present day thanks to an accidental time vortex.” Together the pair work to protect the city’s Lower East Side from undue danger.
Disney Channel’s Senior Vice President of Animation Strategy Meredith Roberts said, “Disney TV Animation is thrilled to collaborate with renowned producers Laurence, Helen, and Steve and the talented Marvel Animation team to bring this modern-day roller-skating gadget-wielding tween superhero and her larger-than-life partner to Disney Channel.”
Meanwhile Senior Vice President of Marvel Animation & Family Entertainment Cort Lane stated, “Lunella doesn’t know she is the smartest person on the planet, but audiences will soon know how very cool Moon Girl is. Her adventures with [her] giant buddy, Devil Dinosaur, are filled with so much wonder and joy, and this historic partnership with Disney Television Animation and Cinema Gypsy Productions proved the right formula to bring them to television.”
The concept is actually fresh take on Marvel legend Jack Kirby’s 1978 Devil Dinosaur comic book series. Also, for those not that familiar with Marvel, Lunella Lafayette is canonically smarter than “genius billionaire playboy philanthropist” Tony Stark/Iron Man.