'Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur' Star On Why 'Representation Matters' In Series

"To see someone that looks like you on TV makes the difference," said Diamond White ahead of the Marvel series' premiere on Disney Channel.

Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur” star Diamond White recognized the “important” role that Lunella Lafayette, aka Moon Girl, and other characters play in the Black girl-led superhero series ahead of its Disney Channel premiere on Friday.

White, a former contestant on “The X Factor” who has voice roles in several animated children’s shows, plays a super-genius that brings back a T. rex ― Devil Dinosaur ― to New York City in the upcoming series.

The series ― created by actor Laurence Fishburne and Helen Sugland ― is based on the Marvel Comics characters of the same name and depicts Moon Girl and her prehistoric pal working hand-in-hand to protect New York’s Lower East Side from danger, according to Disney.

Steve Loter, who directed and produced the hit Disney Channel cartoon “Kim Possible” starting in its second season, joins Fisburne and Sugland as an executive producer on the show.

White, in an exclusive look at the series, said that Lafayette is “everything she wanted to be” when she was 13 years old.

“She’s incredible, she’s a superhero, she is a crime fighter, she’s a problem solver,” White said. “I think it’s important for people to see young, strong, Black leading characters. Representation matters and to see someone that looks like you on TV makes the difference, it really does.”

The series makes its Disney Channel premiere on Friday and its first six episodes will air on Disney+ starting Feb. 15.

Hear from more of the show’s cast, including Alfre Woodard, Sasheer Zamata, Jermaine Fowler and Gary Anthony Williams, in the video below.

Our 2024 Coverage Needs You

As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.

Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.

to keep our news free for all.

Support HuffPost