Cartoon Network and Max have assembled some of Nigeria’s biggest film stars for Iyanu animated series cast

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People might be complaining about superhero fatigue, but it could just be that we’re getting tired of seeing the same type of superhero story we’ve been getting for years now. Iyanu, a new animated series based on Roye Okupe’s Iyanu: Child of Wonder graphic novel, is in the works from Cartoon Network and Max. Now they’ve revealed the first members of the Iyanu cast to help us get excited for the upcoming series.

West Africa is at the heart of Iyanu and that comes through in the cast, which features notable established and rising stars in Nigerian television. Adesua Etomi-Wellington and Blossom Chukwujekwu are two of Nigeria’s biggest film stars. Cartoon Network promises that this will be a “superhero tale that showcases Nigerian culture like never before” which will certainly help it stand out when it finally hits our screens in 2025.

The current cast of Iyanu is:

  • Serah Johnson as Iyanu
  • OK, Jude as Biyi
  • Samuel Kugbiyi as Toye
  • Adesua Etomi-Wellington as Olori
  • Blossom Chukwujekwu as Kanfo
  • Stella Damasus as Rent
  • Shaffy Bello as Emi
  • Ike Ononye as Elder Alapani

In addition to having written the original graphic novel series the animated show is based on, Roye is set to serve as executive producer, writer, and director of several episodes. Iyanu is currently set to release on Cartoon Network and Max sometime in 2025 for a two-season run consisting of 26 episodes total. We’ll have to wait until closer to the time to find out a more specific release date, but something tells us this one will be worth the wait.


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