A beloved children’s series that’s been around for almost 80 years now is introducing an iconic new character aimed at providing representation for neurodivergent children, an autistic brake car named Bruno.
Mattel detailed the work they put into creating Bruno, working with organizations and advocates to make sure they depicted him accurately, wanting to do right for the children out there who want so desperately to see someone like them on screen.
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The ‘Thomas & Friends’ franchise is bringing on a new character!
Of course best known for the title character, Thomas the Tank Engine, the children’s series is making strides with the new character they announced for the roster, a brake car named Bruno.
What makes Bruno so special?
He’s austistic! Bruno is the series’ first autistic character, and was created in collaboration with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network and Easterseals Southern California as well as various autistic spokespeople.
He will also be voiced by autistic actor Chuck Smith.
He will be making his debut on September 12.
The latest Thomas & Friends series where Bruno will be featured is Cartoon Network’s Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go.
Bruno is described by Mattel in a statement as “a joyful, pun-making brake car” who “is great at his job and keeps big, heavy cargo steady with his strong brakes—a vital role in Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go .”
“Bruno rolls in reverse at the end of the train, which gives him a unique perspective on the world.”
“Through his on-screen presence, Bruno’s rich friendships and important work introduces audiences to a positive, neurodivergent role model.”
The company is very proud of the character they made and the work they put in to bring him to life, saying, “Together with key partners, Mattel carefully curated Bruno’s character to ensure an accurate fictional representation of an autistic child in the real world.”
They’re hoping autistic children find comfort in the new character.
Christopher Keenan, Senior Vice President & Executive Producer, Global Content Development and Production at Mattel, said, “Bruno’s introduction organically embraces a global audience that is underrepresented and deserves to be celebrated in children’s programming. So much care and thought went into the development of his character, and we can’t wait for audiences to meet and love Bruno as much as we do.”
h/t: Deadline
