Disney Branded Television has unveiled an addition to the rogue’s gallery of nefarious super villains plaguing New York City in Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur Season 2: Molecule Man! This extraterrestrial terror will be one of the main antagonists of the season, debuting in the season premiere episode.
Molecule Man is a Marvel Comics character introduced in Fantastic Four #20 (1963), created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Per DBTV:
He is a powerful being with the ability to manipulate nonliving organic matter. Often feeling like there was no place for him, he escaped to a whole new planet and used his powers to create an incredible world of natural wonder, soon making it a popular destination for aliens and beings across the multiverse!
As Molecule Man was one of The Beyonder’s main adversaries in the Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars, the animated series’ creative team wanted to cast an actor with an equally powerful vocal presence to that of executive producer and voice star Laurence Fishburne. A perfect fit was found in Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning, Oscar-nominated actor Edward James Olmos.
Known for his roles in TV’s Miami Vice and Mayans MC as well as films like Stand and Deliver, Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049, Olmos is no stranger to animation. The L.A.-born actor, director & producer has previously stepped into the booth for beloved films such as DreamWorks’ The Road to El Dorado, Pixar’s Coco and the Disney-produced English dub for Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. He also featured in the Mexican-American co-pro El Americano and episodes of The Batman, The Simpsons and Elena of Avalor.
Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur follows the adventures of 13-year-old super-genius Lunella Lafayette (voiced by Diamond White) and her 10-ton T-Rex, Devil Dinosaur (Fred Tatasciore). After Lunella accidentally brings Devil Dinosaur into present-day New York City, the duo works together to protect the city’s Lower East Side from danger. Based on the hit comic books and featuring Marvel’s first African-American teenage girl super hero, the 2D animated series also stars Libe Barer, Alfre Woodard, Sasheer Zamata, Jermaine Fowler, Gary Anthony Williams and Laurence Fishburne as The Beyonder.
The series is executive produced by Fishburne and Helen Sugland’s Cinema Gypsy Productions and Emmy winne r Steve Loter. Grammy Award winner Raphael Saadiq serves as executive music producer.
Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur premiered on Disney Channel in February; Season 1 is available to stream on Disney+. Read more about it in this feature story from the March ’23 issue of Animation Magazine.
