CW Drops First Image Of Berlantiverse’s ‘Black Lightning’
Late last night, The CW released the first image from their new Berlantiverse superhero show Black Lightning!
Cress Williams is the man squeezing into the spandex for the role, yet another Prison Break alumnus to land a job in the Berlantiverse. He follows in the footsteps of Wentworth Miller and Dominic Purcell who played Captain Cold and Heat Wave.
Black Lightning tells the story of Jefferson Pierce (Williams), a retired superhero who is forced back into the criminal bashing game, when his daughter and a star student get caught up with a local gang. He is an olympic level athlete & skilled martial artist, who can also generate and manipulate electricity. The comic book was developed by Tony Isabella with Trevor Von Eeden in 1977, and was one of DC’s first major African-American superheroes, and has been a regular part of the Justice League.
Jefferson’s family will be played by China Anne McClain (Descendants, Wizards of Waverly Place) as Jennifer Pierce, and Nafessa Williams (Code Black) as Anissa Pierce.
The show has been created by husband and wife team of Mara Brock Akil and Salim Akil (The Game, Being Mary Jane). “I knew way too much about the world as a young boy growing up in Richmond, California,” commented Salim Akil, who is also exec producing and directing the pilot. “I was no stranger to violence, death, hopelessness or the feeling that no one cared about what was happening in my life. Comics were a great way for me to escape. I was about 13 when Black Lightning was created, and finally there was a black superhero that gave a damn about our neighborhood and our lives. Resurrecting him at a time in our society when a sense of hope is lacking… Black Lightning will be that hope. And in updating the suit, it will signal to a new generation that it’s time to harness and release our power, and become our own superheroes!”
Black Lightning is currently still only a pilot, but assuming The CW like it (and given all the other Greg Berlanti backed shows on the network, I’d say it has a good chance), it’ll become part of the Flash/Arrow/Supergirl/Legends universe. We’ll let you know if (and most likely when) it gets picked up to series.
