I'm thinking ReasonML or OCaml might be able to take on this role.
I was sad to hear about the change to ReScript though. ReasonML targeting the browser and native seemed nice to me, although I do agree the documentation situation and DX wasn't ideal.
Hindley-Milner typing systems are a great way to introduce typing without making beginners afraid of it. The inference make things just work, the way a beginner may expect from the computer.
