Prepare for ‘Black Lightning’ to strike! The CW has announced that its newest DC superhero show will premiere on Tuesday, January 16 at 9pm EST, following ‘The Flash’, which will be returning with a new episode following its winter hiatus. The 9pm Tuesday slot is currently occupied by ‘Legends of Tomorrow’, which The CW says will return later than its DC Comics brethren, sometime in February on a new night and time. (No further info was given regarding ‘Legends’ or why it is being moved.)
‘Black Lightning’ was created and executive produced by husband-and-wife duo Salim and Mara Brock Akil. Cress Williams stars as DC hero Jefferson Pierce, a retired crimefighter who also serves as principal of a charter school. Nafessa Williams and China Anne McClain star as his teenage daughters Anissa and Jennifer. In the comics, the pair are heroes themselves, code-named Thunder and Lightning. Christine Adams plays Lynn, Jefferson’s ex-wife, while rapper Marvin ‘Krondon’ Jones III portrays the show’s lead villain Tobias Whale. Chantal Thuy appears as Grace Choi, an Amazon in the comics, who also winds up in a romantic relationship with Anissa. The cast also includes Shein Mompremier, David Dunston, and James Remar.
Though Greg Berlanti serves as an executive producer, ‘Black Lightning’ will not be part of Berlanti’s Arrowverse… at least not initially.
While the return date for ‘Legends of Tomorrow’ was not announced, the other DC shows will be reappearing around the same time as ‘Black Lightning”s premier and ‘The Flash”s return. ‘Supergirl’ flies back on Monday, January 15th. ‘Arrow’ swoops in on Thursday, January 18th at 9pm, after the midseason return of ‘Supernatural’.
(Not only is ‘Legends’ not yet slated to return, but neither are ‘iZombie’, ‘The Originals’ or ‘The 100’ and the network has yet to announce the premiere for new series ‘Life Sentence’.)
Are you looking forward to seeing ‘Black Lightning’ come to life on The CW?
Source: Entertainment Weekly
