Something tells me Raising Dion will be a show to take viewers on an emotional ride.

Raising Dion, starring Alisha Wainwright, Ja’Siah Young, Michael B. Jordan, and Jason Ritter, is set to launch on Netflix October 4, 2019.

The nine episode series, based on the comic book by by Dennis Liu, follows the story of a woman named Nicole who raises her son Dion after the death of her husband. The normal dramas of raising a son as a single mom are amplified when Dion starts to manifest several mysterious, superhero-like abilities. Nicole must now keep her son’s gifts secret with the help of Mark’s best friend Pat, and protect Dion from villains out to exploit him.

Poignant stories of Black mothers trying to protect their children in a world set out to exploit and harm them have been told before, but there’s always room (and a need) for more. Also, by placing the story within a fantasy universe framework, Raising Dion has the space to go beyond the boundaries of conventional storytelling when it comes to this subject matter.

Michael B. Jordan, Kenny Goodman, Kim Roth, Dennis Liu, Michael Green, and Charles D. King’s MACRO are executive producers of the series.

Check out the rest of the first look photos below, along with the character descriptions. Are you looking forward Raising Dion?

CHARACTER LIST:

JA’SIAH YOUNG – “Dion Warren”

The adorable 8-year-old son of Nicole and Mark, Dion is a precocious boy with an affinity for superheroes and science. This affinity becomes his challenging reality as he begins to develop mysterious abilities, making his life difficult as he enters a new school and deals with the trauma of losing his father when he needed him the most.

ALISHA WAINWRIGHT – “Nicole Warren”

A big dreamer who faces reality as a widowed mother of a special young boy, Nicole navigates the trials and tribulations of parenthood alone once her husband, Mark, passes. She struggles to balance everything once Dion begins to develop superhuman abilities, creating a hectic day-to-day in which she strives to protect his childhood and his safety.

JASON RITTER – “Pat Rollins”

Always doubted and misunderstood, Pat’s passion for science and comics sets an image of a seemingly awkward man, yet his warmth wins Dion over amidst the loss of his father. Pat was Mark’s best friend since their college days at Columbia, and after Mark’s passing makes a big effort to be there for Nicole and Dion, and loves them like family. 

MICHAEL B. JORDAN – “Mark Warren”

Mark was an adventurous, intelligent man who made a point of making the most of life out of his lifelong passion for STEM. Such an ambitious nature eventually leads to Mark’s demise, one that Nicole begins to realize was under much more mysterious circumstances than she originally thought.

JAZMYN SIMON – “Kat Neese”

Kat is a surgical resident and Nicole’s sister. She’s the one that has her life together, and can’t help but correct Nicole on her life and parenting. All in all, she’s a wonderful and supportive aunt and sister, but has a hard time biting her tongue as she watches her sister make mistakes.

SAMMI HANEY – “Esperanza Jimenez”

A ride or die you always want in your corner, Esperanza is a bright classmate of Dion who has brittle bone disease. A brilliant artist wise beyond her years, she looks out for Dion in an endearing manner, and, though it takes a while, Dion grows to realize she is his best friend.