Meet Bruno, the first autistic character in theThomas & Friendsfranchise. Mattell has officially announced that Bruno will be joining the show as a series regular, making his debut on the season 26 premiere ofThomas & Friends: All Engines Goon Monday, Sept.12. Mattel TV developed Bruno in collaboration with respected organizations including the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) and Easterseals Southern California, as well as writers and spokespeople with autism including Daniel Share-Strom and Aaron Likens.
You can watch a trailer for season 26 below.
Bruno will be voiced byautistic actorChuck Smith. The character is described as a “joyful, pun-making brake car” whose job is to keep big, heavy cargo steady with his strong brakes, a vital role inThomas & Friends: All Engines Go. A description of the character was also provided by Mattel, which you can read below.
Bruno rolls in reverse at the end of the train, which gives him a unique perspective on the world. Detail- oriented Bruno enjoys schedules, routine, and knows where all the tracks lead on Sodor. Bruno has stairs and a lantern on his bright, red exterior that indicate his emotional state, moving when he is excited or cautious. Bruno’s best day is one spent with his friends, who love and respect him for who he is, just as he loves them back. Through his on-screen presence, Bruno’s rich friendships and important work introduces audiences to a positive, neurodivergent role model. Together with key partners, Mattel carefully curated Bruno’s character to ensure an accurate fictional representation of an autistic child in the real world.
“The most important aspect of Bruno’s development was getting autistic input throughout the process of creating the character and his interactions with his world,” Zoe Gross, Director of ASAN, said in a statement. “It was great to be able to contribute to that as part of a team of consultants from ASAN. Autistic people have been involved in all aspects of creating Bruno, from us as consultants to writers on the show and Bruno’s voice actor—this makes Bruno ring true as an autistic character. I hope that Bruno will provide viewers with meaningful examples of inclusion in everyday life."
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Bruno Will Be Featured as a Series Regular
Great efforts were taken to ensure that Bruno was given an accurateon-screen representation of autism. This includes Mattel working with experts from ASAN and Easterseals Southern California to ensure such accuracy. With that said, it’s still noted by Mattel that no one animated character could ever encompass the real-life experience of every autistic person.
“Our commitment and contributions alongside Mattel have ensured that an honest version of Bruno is what kids and families across the world will experience,” said Dr. Paula Pompa Craven, Chief Clinical Officer at Easterseals Southern California, in a statement. “Audiences will be able to see the real life experiences of an autistic child through Bruno, including opportunities to learn and grow alongside him as he demonstrates his ability to give and receive support from his friends.”
Christopher Keenan, Senior Vice President & Executive Producer, Global Content Development and Production at Mattel, added: “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.”
Meet Bruno when he is introduced inThomas & Friends: All Engines Goon Monday, Sept. 12 at 8:30 am ET/PT onCartoonitoand Cartoon Network. Bruno will also be featured in appearances in a YouTube series, music album, theThomas & Friends Storytimepodcast, the upcomingMystery of Lookout Mountainspecial, and consumer products coming later this year.
