Normally when we see superheroes on the screen, they are fully-fledged adults. Rarely are they only just coming to terms with the extraordinary powers that they have been given. That's where Raising Dion is unique.
Dion Warren is only seven years old. His father, Mark, died in a storm and his mother, Nicole, is raising him by herself. And just when life for the young widow couldn't get any more difficult, her son Dion starts to display extraordinary gifts and abilities she can't explain.
Suddenly Dion is levitating and making toys fly around the room with no way of either controlling or stopping it. The only person Nicole (Alisha Wainwright) can turn to is Pat (Jason Ritter), her husband's best friend and Dion's godfather.
Pat and Mark (Michael B. Jordan, That Awkward Moment) both worked for a biotech company called Biona. As the episodes of Raising Dion unfold, it becomes clear that when Pat and Mark were on a work assignment in Iceland, a weather anomaly had a far greater impact on the people there than anybody realised.
With some sort of freak radiation falling from the sky, anybody there (except for Pat as he wasn't outside) started to develop powers within a few years of returning home. And that includes Mark.
What nobody realised was that it also altered DNA and so it was passed to Dion genetically. By the time Nicole works this out, she has managed to track down one other person who was there, in Iceland – Charlotte Tuck. The vast majority of the other people who were there have gone missing or died.
Now Nicole must figure out how to protect Dion (Ja'Siah Young) and keep him safe from whatever is tracking them down. Is it Biona? Could it be the storm? Is her husband really dead? Who can she really trust and depend on to help them?
But as she digs deeper, Nicole realises there may actually be more children out there with superpowers like Dion. That's when we meet Brayden Mills (Griffin Robert Faulkner). He is the son of Walter, another scientist who was in Iceland.
Just like Mark Warren with Dion, Walter passed the powers he got from the event on to his son. But unlike Dion, Brayden has the power of telepathy.
Is Raising Dion Worth Watching?
As fantasy/sci-fi/superhero shows go, Raising Dion is a slick and engaging production. With a seamless script, great special effects and a natural evolution through the story, it is perfect for older kids and adults alike.
It also has plenty of twists and turns which are difficult to see coming. And props to Ja'Siah Young for keeping Dion so innocent and likeable.
Of course, there are bound to be a couple of plot issues but these are few and far between unless you are actively looking for them.
So is Raising Dion worth watching? Yes, it absolutely is. And there was definitely enough of a cliff hanger at the end to warrant a second season…
If you loved Raising Dion, check out Ms. Marvel, another coming-of-age superhero drama.
Raising Dion Cast
All of the cast are great and give compelling performances which is probably why the show is so watchable. There are a few key characters involved in the story and they are played by the following actors.
Alisha Wainwright plays Nicole Reese, a widowed mother who is raising her son alone after the death of her husband Mark.
Ja'Siah Young as Dion Warren, Nicole's seven-year-old, superpowered son.
Michael B. Jordan as Mark Warren, a scientist and Nicole's deceased husband
Jazmyn Simon as Kat Neese, Nicole's older sister
Sammi Haney as Esperanza Jimenez, Dion's classmate and best friend. She also has a brittle bone disease.
Jason Ritter as Pat Rollins, an engineer at BIONA and, Mark's best friend and Dion's godfather.
Ali Ahn as Suzanne Wu, a scientist and the CEO of BIONA
Griffin Robert Faulkner as Brayden Mills, son of another scientist, has the power of telepathy
Season 2 Additional Cast Members
Michael Anthony as Gary Stafford, who will star in season 2.
Josh Ventura as David Marsh, who will star in the second season.
Rome Flynn, Aubriana Davis, Tracey Bonner have also joined the cast.
Raising Dion Season 2 Release Date
Yes there is! Thankfully Netflix officially renewed the series for a second season in January 2020.
It is set to premiere on February 1, 2022 worldwide. There is one small downside, however.
Raising Dion had nine episodes in the first season and the second only has eight. Alisha Wainwright and Ja'Siah Young are the only two actors to appear in all 17 episodes of both seasons.
Who Created Raising Dion?
As you can imagine with a show that requires so many special effects, the crew that put Raising Dion together is quite substantial.
First off, it is based on the 2015 comic book and short film of the same name by Dennis Liu. The Netflix production was created by Carol Barbee who also wrote the first and fifth episodes.
She also co-wrote the season 1 finale with Leigh Dana Jackson. Leigh Dana Jackson also wrote the third episode.
But a show needs more than a creator, a plot and the writers. It also needs a director and in the case of Raising Dion, there are four including Seith Mann, Rachel Goldberg, Dennis Liu and Neema Barnette.
And not content to star in the show, Michael B. Jordan is an executive producer of it as well! He shares the duties with fellow executive producers Carol Barbee, Kim Roth, Kenny Goodman, Charles D. King, Poppy Hanks, Dennis Liu, Seith Mann and Michael Green.
Is Raising Dion Marvel?
Raising Dion is not a Marvel production. The idea was originally created in 2015 as a comic book by Dennis Liu. He then created a short film based on that book.
From both the comic book and the short, Carol Barbee then adapted the screenplay and created the show for Netflix.
Raising Dion Age Rating
Officially Raising Dion has an age rating of '12'. That means it is not suitable for children younger than that.
However, that is mostly because the story is too complicated for younger kids to follow and it does get a little tense at times.
Is Raising Dion On Netflix Cancelled?
The simple answer to that question is no, Raising Dion has not been cancelled by Netflix.
So far there are only two seasons however if it continues to be a huge success, Netflix could renew it for a third season.
Where Else Can You Watch Raising Dion?
You can only watch this family drama on Netflix. That is because it is a Netflix original show and as such, they own the rights to show it around the world.
