Cast Party: Who Should Star in 'Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur'?

Welcome to Cast Party, the feature that imagines a world with even more live action comic book adaptations than we currently have, and comes up with arguably the best casting suggestions you’re ever going to find for the movies and shows we wish could exist. This week we're focused on a current comic for the first time in a while, and imaging a movie based on Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, by Amy Reeder, Brandon Montclare, and Natacha Bustos.

I'd like to see Jon Favreau return to the Marvel sphere to direct this movie. While his Iron Man work gave him a lot of useful experience with action and special effects, I'm mostly remembering his early family films like Elf and Zathura. This should be one of those movies that anyone could enjoy but that's very kid-friendly. After all, this is the story of a 12-year-old genius who doesn't fit in, and the special friendship she forms with a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

We can leave out the Terrigen Mist connection (because nobody cares about the Inhumans) and feature the Hulk, as well as the Killer Folk from Devil Dinosaur's world, as antagonists, not to mention all the normal adults and kids who just don't understand Moon Girl.

Quvenzhané Wallis as Lunella Lafayette
Marvel/Voltage Pictures
Marvel/Voltage Pictures
Wallis is a talented 12-year-old with the beginning of an impressive career (including an Oscar nomination) already under her belt. Put some big glasses on her, and she'll be a perfect Moon Girl.
Bill Hader as Devil Dinosaur
Marvel/Universal
Marvel/Universal
I thought about this a lot. If Devil Dinosaur is going to be the co-lead of this movie, I want an actor's performance to be behind him, which the magic of motion capture allows for. Hader's off the wall character style is perfect for that. I'm pretty sure you could tell him "be a friendly T-Rex" and he'd find how to do it in minute. He can even make his own growling sounds.
Mos Def as Lunella's Dad
Marvel/Showtime
Marvel/Showtime
I always liked Mos Def in movies, and he hasn't really done one in a while. Time to make his return, in dad form.
Adepero Oduye as Lunella's Mom
Marvel/Plan B Entertainment
Marvel/Plan B Entertainment
Oduye is from NYC, like Mos Def, and she has a great look for Lunella's young and pretty mother.
Melissa Fumero as Ms. Dominguez
Marvel/Fox
Marvel/Fox
The humor in the science teacher role will come mostly in reactions. As we've seen on Brooklyn Nine Nine, Fumero is great at that kind of thing.
Rob Riggle as the Gym Teacher
Marvel/Fox
Marvel/Fox
I'm going to be honest. Some guys just have a look that says "middle school gym teacher" to me, and Riggle is one of them. But he's also pretty funny, which is a good thing to bring to the table.
Steven Yeun as the Hulk
Marvel/AMC
Marvel/AMC
Obviously, this is the Amadeus Cho version of the Hulk, who shows up in the story to capture the dinosaur he's heard is rampaging through the Lower East Side. He'll be big and green via CGI, of course, just like Mark Ruffalo.
Enzo Amore, Colin Cassady, Curtis Axel, Braun Strowman, and Tristan Risk as the Killer Folk
Marvel/WWE/Drafthouse Films
Marvel/WWE/Drafthouse Films
Who better to play a gang of time-displaced ape people than four professional wrestlers and one burlesque-star-turned-horror-actress? I was going to make if five wrestlers, but Risk is just so good at this kind of weirdness.