When I heard the show wasn’t renewed, I felt a familiar disappointment — not because I was shocked, but because I wasn’t even interested in watching season two. I had hoped to love it. I had hoped it would last. But something about the show never quite worked. Let’s talk about why.
The Heart of the Story Got Lost
I picked a random write-up about MG&DD’s cancellation. The writer mentioned three things they loved:
- Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow, where Lunella learns to care for her natural hair
- Make It Don’t Break It, featuring a Wakandan science teacher and a powerful panic attack scene
- And, the music — they really enjoyed the soundtrack
Do you see the problem?
While it’s a good list, it doesn’t reflect what the show was supposed to be about: Lunella, a young Black genius using her intelligence to build incredible gadgets and catch criminals.
Instead, the series shifted into something else entirely — a vehicle for cultural education and social commentary. It stopped being an adaptation and started being an agenda.
A Risk That Could Have Paid Off
Let’s be clear: Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur was already a gamble. The comics weren’t bestsellers but the characters developed a cult following over the years. I was rooting for this show—how often do we get a young Black girl as a genius inventor leading a Marvel story?
There was real potential to inspire kids — to show them that being smart and creative can be heroic. But instead of building on that core concept, the show tried to do something else entirely.
Social Issues Need Intentional Space
Do I think social issues belong in kids’ media? Yes. Absolutely. But those stories need to be intentional from the start — built into the DNA of the show. Otherwise, the audience starts asking the same question I did: What happened to Lunella’s story?
Take The Gatekeeper, an episode Disney pulled from broadcast. It focused on a trans girl named Brooklyn, facing pushback from a volleyball coach. Meanwhile, Lunella barely participates in the episode’s events and becomes a minor character in her own show.
What does this storyline have to do with Lunella being a genius inventor catching criminals? Nothing.
It was a good episode. It just didn’t belong in this show.
A Glimpse of What Could Have Been
Out of curiosity, I searched YouTube for older clips. I found an episode where Lunella considers joining S.H.I.E.L.D. In the end, she boards a helicopter with Nick Fury.
I teared up. This was the version of the show I had been waiting for. Lunella being brilliant. Independent. Courageous. The spotlight was finally hers — and it felt amazing.
Then I realized that was the finale. Something broke inside me. It felt like the show had just figured out what it was supposed to be… only to end.
Think about it: Lunella makes the decision to join S.H.I.E.L.D. to tap into her full potential just like the show had to end to remove all of the unnecessary burdens placed on Lunella.
The Real Cost of Losing Focus
After that, I didn’t want to watch the previous episodes. Not if I knew the rest of the show would veer off course. Was it a good ending? Sure. But I had hoped it was a fresh start.
Maybe we’ll see Lunella again in the Marvel universe. Maybe she’ll outsmart Nick Fury and build machines that blow Tony Stark’s mind. She deserves that kind of spotlight.
And next time? I hope the writers let her have it.
Because here’s the truth fans have made clear:
✔️ We’re open to change
✔️ We’re ready for bold, inclusive stories
✖️ But not at the cost of erasing what made a character special
Lunella didn’t need to be a symbol. She just needed to be a hero.
