black lightning

Well, after the little teaser we got during the ‘Crisis on Earth X’ event last week, fans were very hungry for more footage and information about the next addition to the CW’s superhero roster, ‘Black Lightning,’ and is often the case with the CW/ DC, they did not disappoint. This week, they released a new trailer for the upcoming series, and while still only 40 seconds in length, it did a good job of setting up the new series and letting us know what we can expect from the titular hero when he premieres on the CW on January 16th.

So based on the trailer, we learned that Jefferson Pierce (aka Black Lightning) who is played by Cress Williams, has not been active in his heroic role for years, and has instead resigned himself to his civilian job of being a high school principal. But he is called back into action as a new threat comes into town and he must take up his mantle once more to protect his family and his city, as the voice-over by mentor Peter Gambi urges him to do, reminding him of why he became Black Lightning in the first place.

The suit itself looks pretty cool, the special effects look intriguing, I know I was worried we would just be seeing more lightning effects like what we are already seeing over on ‘The Flash,’ but the “lightning” in question looks noticeably different, which I like, and his fighting style also looks unique and not just like a rehash of what they are doing over on ‘Arrow.’

The trailer also includes a few brief shots of some of the villains of the series including Tobias Whale (play by Marvin Jones III) and Syonide (played by Charlbi Dean Kriek), giving us some hint of just what the new menace is in town that called Black Lightning back into action.

The trailer makes it clear that the show is not going to be an origin story, but rather the story of a hero getting back to business after years of being away; an old vet getting back in the game and maybe having to learn some new tricks in order to stay relevant, depending on how long he was away. Regardless, I enjoy that the show feels new, and not like the CW is just launching another superhero show just to add to the roster. This feels like another show with a fresh concept, which sounds like it might just be worth watching.

What were your thoughts on the trailer? Check it out for yourself below and share your opinions in the comments section!