Marvel’s cinematic universe and Atlanta’s rich skating culture collided on Saturday afternoon.
“Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur” held an immersive skating event for the community at the popular Cascade Skating Rink. The Emmy-winning animated series hosted the skating session to promote the show’s upcoming second season, which airs on Friday, Feb. 2.
The show, which debuted last year, follows the adventures of 13-year-old Lunella Lafayette who uses her wit to protect her Lower East Side New York neighborhood from constant blackouts. By day, Lunella is showcasing her impressive skating skills at her family’s rink, but by night, she secretly conducts successful experiments.
“Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur” stars Diamond White, Alfre Woodard, Laurence Fishburne, Atlanta native Gary Anthony Williams and more. Legendary artist and producer Raphael Saadiq handles music for the show. Rodney Clouden, an executive producer, said promoting the show at Cascade felt like a dream come true, given skating is an underlying theme in the series.
Credit: Steve Schaefer
Credit: Steve Schaefer
“This is a love letter to the skate community and just a celebration of the authenticity that we want to represent for the skating community and for the Black community.”
Executive producer Pilar Flynn echoed the importance of the show’s diversity. Along with showcasing a Black girl superhero, the series also follows the friendship between Lunella and Casey Calderon, who’s Latina and Jewish.
“I think that the textures, the colors, the feelings that you get when watching the show on screen is an actual reflection of how we felt while making it,” said Flynn. “Our passion, our heart and soul is completely up on the screen for all to see, so I hope everyone enjoys as much as we loved making it.”
Diamond White, who plays Lunella, said seeing herself on screen is important. White, who’s 25, said she wishes she was able to see a character like Lunella growing up.
“For me, it’s like Black girl magic. It’s like whatever that one thing is that makes you unique, that’s the magic that lives inside of you. I relate to Lunella in a sense that I know she’s a genius, but whenever I go into the studio, I feel like a genius.”
Saturday’s event kicked off with a performance from the Cascade Dream Team, the rink’s official team. Families were able to take pictures with Moon Girl, compete in competitions and skate the day away. The event was hosted by TV personality Monyetta Shaw and pro skater Kamille Boyd-Gilmore aka Msss Kamille.
Credit: Steve Schaefer
Credit: Steve Schaefer
Camille Colston, a member of the Cascade Dream Team, said she wasn’t familiar with the show before being booked to perform. However, she said she watched season one to prepare for the event.
“I thought it was super cute,” said Colston, 27. “It’s a kid’s show, but it’s also relatable for adults and kids. We don’t have a lot of representation for (skating) culture, so it’s really good to see it put out in a positive light for kids, for adults.”
Libe Barer, who plays Casey, said working on a show that’s adamant about showcasing diversity for all demographics is her favorite part of the job.
“When I was a kid, I grew up in the U.S. when my family’s from Mexico. I grew up going to school, speaking English and speaking Spanish sometimes would make you feel like an outsider,” Barer said. “I would have just loved to see a cool superhero character that like speaks Spanish and has celebrated for it. I feel very lucky that I get to do that for like other little girls.”
As for season two, the cast and crew noted that fans will be able to see Lunella fully locked into her superpowers, which means new villains, new conflicts and a stronger community.
IF YOU WATCH
Season 2 of “Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur”
Premieres 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 2, on Disney Channel and the following day on Disney+
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