Yahoo Movies Marvel Star Diamond White Is 'Excited to See a Superhero that Looks Like Me' in New Disney Series
Diamond White is adding a new title to her resumé: superhero.
The 24-year-old actress is the latest to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the franchise's new show Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur. White joined Wednesday's episode of the PEOPLE Every Day podcast with host Janine Rubenstein where she shared how it feels to take on the helm as Marvel's latest superhero — and first Black female teenage hero — 13-year-old Moon Girl.
"I was having a conversation with my brother the other day and he was like, "Diamond, you know, this is, like, really big. And I was like, 'I dunno, I'm scared,' " White told Rubenstein. "But I'm just excited to finally see a superhero that has my skin tone and looks like me. That is so important to me."
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Growing up, White shared, her favorite superheroes were Superman and Iron Man, but she couldn't quite relate to them.
"I'm a big fan of Superman but I couldn't really connect to Superman because he's, you know, a white guy," she said. "Now that I'm voicing this character, [my favorite superhero is] definitely Moon Girl because she's what I wanted to see on my screen growing up."
Now, she sees herself in Moon Girl — a bright but awkward teenager who is determinted to save her neighborhood, Manhattan's Lower East Side, with her partner dinosaur by her side.
White said she and Moon Girl share a lot of the same struggles; as a home-schooled kid, White felt more comfortable around adults than other people her age, and would stay away from sleepovers because she was "scared." So she was able to draw on that history to tap into Moon Girl's more awkward moments.
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White also anticipated some awkward moments with Tony- and Emmy-award winning actor Laurence Fishburne, 61, who intimidated her at first but quickly won her over.
"I was scared to meet Laurence because I know how big of a star he is and I was a little bit nervous, but he's so goofy and so fun and we have the best times together," she said. "I was just like, 'Thank you for including me in this project.' And he was like, 'We couldn't do it without you' and it's really sweet."
Marvel
At the end of the day, White said, the show is about "community and family" and MCU fans can expect to see those themes come through, as well as a music-heavy show complete with singing, and even a feature by Childish Gambino that debuted in the trailer.
Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur will premiere on Feb. 10 at 8 p.m. ET on Disney Channel. The first six episodes will be available for streaming on Feb. 15 on Disney+.
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