[OT] Black Lightning Season 2

[manigamer]

There’s just no stopping producer Greg Berlanti’s march to bring a hero for every possible viewer from the world of DC Comics onto broadcast television. After covering the dark and gritty with Arrow, a shift to the lighter side came in the form of the The Flash – followed soon after by a time travel team-up in Legends of Tomorrow, and a return to the golden age of Kryptonians with Supergirl (now switching to The CW). Now it looks like another Justice League member will be battling the forces of evil and corruption – assuming Berlanti has his way.
According to a new report, Berlanti’s production team is pairing up with Being Mary Jane and The Game creator Mara Brock Akil to bring DC Comics’ Jefferson Pierce a.k.a. Black Lightning to TV, with the group apparently now pitching the show to networks.
The report comes courtesy of Deadline, who state that it will once again be Berlanti and producing partner Sarah Schechter getting development in motion (as they did with Supergirl), with Mara Brock Akil and her producing partner and husband Salim Akil on board to produce and write. The Akils recently signed a multi-year development deal with Warner Bros., the first fruits of which may apparently be adding to their crop of DC Comics adaptations. Details are scarce, but the outlet does provide the following brief synopsis:

He made his choice: he hung up the suit and his secret identity years ago, but with a daughter hell-bent on justice and a star student being recruited by a local gang, he’ll be pulled back into the fight as the wanted vigilante and DC legend — Black Lightning.
​

At first glance, many will see the development of Black Lightning as one more push from comic book studios to increase not just their adapted properties, but the diversity of them, with characters and voices from all ethnicities, nationalities, faiths and gender being no longer demanded by fans, but actively pursued by executives. The report also coincides with growing momentum for Marvel’s Luke Cage, a Netflix series built on one of the comic publisher’s first African-American heroes spawned during the success of 1970s ‘Blaxploitation’ films – the same period that spurred DC into creating Black Lightning.

In the original comics, Jefferson Pierce was a boy with promise born into Metropolis’ ‘Suicide Slum,’ eventually working his way through school to become not only a brilliant student, but an accomplished athlete, eventually making it to the heights of an Olympic Gold Medal in the Decathlon – Suicide Slum’s own success story. But a career as a college professor – and a daughter, as mentioned in the show’s pitch – couldn’t distract him from his home, and upon returning, realized that the streets were as bad as ever – and in need of a physically gifted defender.
First came a belt capable of channeling bolts of electricity to augment his physical prowess, later replaced by certified superpowers. In the modern age, Jefferson even worked in President Lex Luthor’s cabinet, adding some political experience to his repertoire of hard knocks and a superpowered daughter, no less. It’s fruitful territory for the Akils, Berlanti and Schechter to explore: a lower-class kid who makes good, returns home, and realizes fists can solve what an intellect and good education can’t.
Obviously that idea has some problems in today’s world – and the same goes for Jefferson’s decision to don the clothing, hairstyle and language of blaxploitation to conceal his ‘educated’ identity. But in the right hands, that alone means some new ground can be broken while still remaining faithful to the heart of the character. Now, which network will be attracted to the story, and its possible connections to the larger Berlanti Arrowverse… remains to be seen.
The Flash season 3 will premiere Tuesday October 4th at 8pm on The CW, Arrow season 5 will premiere in the same timeslot on Wednesday October 5th, Supergirl season 2 on Monday October 10th, and Legends of Tomorrow season 2 on Thursday October 13th.
Source: Deadline

 

[Gintoki]

How many shows Greg Berlanti will produce?

Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of tomorrow, riverdale, boster gold movie, working on blindspot, and now this

Arrow quality has already gone the drain, I'm afraid other shows will suffer the same fate

 

[manigamer]

[h=1]Greg Berlanti’s Black Lightning TV Series Lands at Fox[/h]

Comic books are ripe for adaptation into TV shows, thanks to their serial format, and we’ve certainly seen a lot of comic book adaptations on TV in recent years – from gritty, violent fare like Preacher to kid-friendly superhero shows like The Flash and Supergirl. But while the latter two shows – both of which were executive produced by Greg Berlanti – are part of a growing DC empire over on The CW, Berlanti’s latest project has landed elsewhere.
Black Lightning, a planned series about the Justice League superhero created by Tony Isabella and Trevor Von Eeden in 1977, has found its home at Fox, according to a report by TheWrap. Fox, which is already home to another comic book-based property in the form of Batman prequel series Gotham, has given Black Lightning a pilot production commitment. The series is being co-written by Mara Brock Akil and Salim Akil (Being Mary Jane).
Here is the synopsis for the show, according to TheWrap:

Black Lightning’s everyday alter ego is Jefferson Pierce, who made his choice: he hung up the suit and his secret identity years ago, but with a daughter hellbent on justice and a star student being recruited by a local gang, he’ll be pulled back into the fight as the wanted vigilante and DC legend Black Lightning.
​

Keep in mind that this is only a pilot order, not a series order, so it’s not yet guaranteed that Black Lightning will make it onto our TV screens. However, the fact that it’s been snapped up so quickly after the project was announced is a positive sign, and Gotham has been a success for Fox despite mixed reviews, garnering more than 5 million viewers in its second season. It makes sense that the network would want to add another superhero show to its roster.
With The CW having demonstrated the appeal of shared TV universes, there is a question of whether Black Lightning will end up crossing over with Gotham… but we wouldn’t bet on that just yet. Gotham takes place in a relatively grounded version of the DC universe, and while Black Lightning originated as a tech-powered superhero, he’s better known as a metahuman with electricity-wielding abilities.
Besides, The CW introduced The Flash at a time when Arrow was generally well-regarded, whereas Gotham has struggled to find its footing in its first two seasons. Keeping the two shows separate would give Black Lightning a fresh start with viewers, which could lead to greater success than a Gotham connection would.
We’ll keep you updated on Black Lightning as development continues.
Source: TheWrap


----

Ohh sh*t DC OVERLOAD

 

[Gintoki]

I want a Batman show by Berlanti and Kreisberg, with Guggenheim far away as possible

 

[manigamer]

[h=1]Black Lightning TV Show May Start Filming in March[/h]

With the rise in popularity of comic book superhero adaptations on the big screen, the trend has carried over to the small screen. While Marvel Studios is currently in the process of expanding both its offerings on Netflix and ABC – with other projects in development elsewhere as well – DC Comics has an arguably bigger presence on TV. The CW’s shared DC Comics universe includes four separate television series in addition to iZombie, an adaptation of the series housed on DC’s imprint Vertigo. Meanwhile, Fox currently has two DC Comics adaptations, Gotham and Lucifer (the latter being loosely based on another Vertigo title). Plus, the network has ordered to pilot a third DC Comics-based series in Black Lightning.
The Black Lightning show was first reported to be in development last fall, with The CW’s DC Comics universe architect Greg Berlanti listed as a producer, before landing at Fox with a pilot order shortly after. Black Lightning is being co-written by Mara Brock Akil and Salim Akil (The Game, Being Mary Jane), who Berlanti has said are more to credit for the show’s creative direction than himself. Now, it appears Black Lightning is taking the next step in the TV pilot process by gearing up to start production soon.


Per My Entertainment World, production on the Black Lightning TV pilot is set to begin in New Orleans, LA, this March. No other details are available as of yet, but this timeline falls in line with that of a typical television pilot. After the pilot episode is completed, it will be sent to Fox for review and the network will make a decision on whether or not to order Black Lightning to series – with the decision likely arriving in May around the time of the network’s upfronts presentation.

According to the early synopsis released along with the news that Fox had ordered Black Lightning to pilot, the series will follow the DC superhero’s alter-ego of Jefferson Pierce, who hung up his suit and hero identity before the show kicks off. However, with his daughter “hellbent on justice and a star student being recruited by a local gang” Jefferson Pierce will be drawn back into the fray as Black Lightning. It’s unclear whether the daughter in the Fox series will be one of the characters from the comics – both Anissa Pierce and Jennifer Pierce adopted superhero identities: Thunder and Lightning, respectively.
As for Jefferson Pierce, it remains to be seen how Black Lightning adapts the character; in the comics he initially received his powers from belt that generated lightning bolts, but he was later revealed to be a metahuman with that capability of generating lighting all on his own. Of course, with the Black Lightning pilot potentially gearing up to start production, it’s likely casting news will begin to surface, not only concerning the lead role of Jefferson Pierce, but supporting players like his daughter and the “star student”.
That said, without confirmation from Fox or anyone involved with the Black Lightning series, it remains to be seen if this production start date report turns out to be true. But, if Black Lightning is going to have a shot at debuting during the 2017- 2018 television season, the pilot will certainly need to start production in the coming months. So, it’s likely we’ll learn more about Fox’s Black Lighting series over the next few weeks.


We’ll keep you updated on Black Lightning as development continues.
Source: My Entertainment World

 

[manigamer]

[h=1]Black Lightning TV Show May Join The CW’s DCTV Lineup[/h]

In the fall of 2016, DCTV architect Greg Berlanti announced he was bringing yet another DC Comics character to the small screen with Black Lightning. The news was greeted with the usual enthusiasm by comic fans and viewers of the interconnected universe Berlanti had set up at The CW, but this announcement also came with news the series was in production at FOX, with no intention of having it join the Arrowverse. That news likely perturbed fans of the character and those looking forward to the television universe getting its first superhero series led by an African American. Moreover, it seemed perplexing to think that Berlanti would set up another DC series only for it not to intersect with what he’d already created.
As it turns out, however, those issues may be a thing of the past. A new report suggests Black Lightning is about to strike The CW after picking up stakes and moving to the comic-friendly network from FOX.
The news comes from Deadline, which reports that the series is on the move and that The CW is likely to give it a pilot order. In doing so, it would seem that Black Lightning is indeed set to join Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, and Supergirl as the fifth DCTV series on the network. The reason for the move may have been the result of FOX passing on the project, after assessing their current line-up and determining it had enough genre series on air and in development — what with Matt Nix’s upcoming X-Men series and a Ridley Scott-produced adaptation of The Passage on the way. FOX’s loss is The CW and comic fandom’s gain, apparently, as Berlanti’s vision for the Arrowverse will almost certainly expand with this new series likely on its way.

The move will also likely help Black Lightning succeed as well. As The CW’s DCTV line-up demonstrated in November during the multi-series ‘Invasion!’ crossover, the shows belonging to the Arrowverse are stronger together than they ever would be apart. Although it’s unknown at this time what kind of commodity Black Lightning will prove to be, starting out within the confines of an already-established universe like the one Berlanti co-created gives it an undeniable advantage over new series beginning onscreen life on their lonesome.
At this point, the only question may be: Can the Arrowverse sustain another series or will a five-show universe cause the whole thing to collapse on itself? If Black Lightning does indeed wind up jumping to The CW, then it seems the answer to that question isn’t much of a concern to the network.


Source: Deadline

 

[manigamer]

Black Lightning TV Show Casts Cress Williams As Its Lead

The CW has established itself as the go-to network for comic book-based television, now boasting four Arrowverse TV shows (in the forms of Arrow, The Flash, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl), as well as non-superhero comic book adaptations iZombie and Riverdale to its name. Arrowverse co-creator and Riverdale producer, Greg Berlanti is now lending his name to another DC Comics TV adaptation set to call The CW its home; namely, Black Lightning, a small screen take on the superhero of the same name, who was one of DC’s first African-American superheroes when he debuted on the comic book page in 1977.
Black Lightning, aka. Jefferson Pierce, will have been retired from the life of a superhero for several years, when The CW’s TV series initially picks up. It was only just reported that Black Lightning co-showrunner Salim Akil is going to be calling the shots on the pilot episode for the TV show – and now, we know who will be bringing its namesake to life on the small screen, too.


Deadline is reporting that Cress Williams is now set to play Jefferson Pierce on the live-action Black Lightning TV show, with Akil co-running the series alongside his wife and producing partner, Mara Brock Akil, as well as Berlanti and his Arrowverse producer, Sarah Schechter in an executive producing capacity. Williams is no stranger to The CW, having previously appeared in multiple seasons of the network’s drama series, Heart of Dixie. Williams more recently appeared on CBS’ TV medical drama Code Black and even has a recurring role from The CW’s mid-2000s cult hit Veronica Mars, under his belt.

Black Lightning, as indicated before, isn’t going to be embracing the archetypical superhero narrative blueprint used by The CW’s Arrowverse TV shows. Indeed, when the former picks up, its ex-superhero namesake only returns to action after his daughter sets out in search of justice herself; prompting her dad to return to his costumed vigilante ways. The father/daughter angle only further sets Black Lightning apart from its peers on The CW as something unique, seeing as most of the Arrowverse’s main superheroes are 20-somethings without kids of their own – with exceptions, of course (see Professor Martin Stein on Legends of Tomorrow and Arrow himself, Oliver Queen).
The fact that Black Lightning will be the first of The CW’s DCTV shows anchored by a non-white protagonist only further distinguishes the series from its peers and suggests it may yet find room to prosper on the network, even as The CW’s comic book TV show lineup continues to expand in the future. With a solid leading man now onboard in the form of Williams in place and two talented showrunners at the helm, additional casting announcements ought to be arriving soon – keeping Black Lightning moving along smoothly down the pipeline, ahead of filming on the pilot episode getting underway next month.



Source: Deadline

 

[manigamer]

[h=1]Black Lightning TV Show Casts Lightning & Thunder[/h]

ShareOn Facebook
Tweet Share Email Share Share Pin It Share Comment



Black Lightning is the next DC TV show coming to The CW. The series is being produced by Greg Berlanti – co-creator of The CW’s Arrowverse (which includes Arrow, The Flash, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl) – and features the husband and wife duo of Salim Akin and Mara Brock Akil, as its showrunners.
Black Lightning focuses on the alter-ego of Jefferson Piece (Cress Williams), who is forced to return to his abandoned superhero identity in order to protect his daughters. Pierce is usually depicted in the DC comics as a teacher, although he has been Secretary of Education in the past. Per DC Comics continuity, Pierce’s daughters Jennifer and Anissa follow in their father’s footsteps and become superheroes in their own right – the duo known as Thunder and Lightning.
Deadline is reporting that China Anne McClain (House of Payne), will be playing the role of Jennifer Pierce and Nafessa Williams (Code Black where she previously worked with C. Williams), will play Anissa Pierce on Black Lightning. Jennifer is the younger of the two daughters. She is an accomplished student fixated on justice, whereas Anissa is an adult who’s in medical school and working part-time at her father’s school.

Nafessa Williams and China Anne McClain are joining the Black Lightning cast



Black Lightning has the potential to focus on family as much, if not more so, than any of the other current DC TV shows on The CW. Supergirl and The Flash certainly focus heavily on related themes of family, but Black Lightning could be the first of The CW’s DC television shows to feature an entire family’s worth of superheroes (Jefferson, Jennifer and Anissa) at its core.
If Williams and McClain are able to handle the unique demands that will be placed on them as superheroes, then they should be nothing but assets. However, DCTV shows don’t have the best track record with their younger cast members, who sometimes get relegated to being irrational and only serving to create conflict for the lead characters at inopportune moments. Hopefully this will not be the case and fans will get to see Thunder and Lightning in their full glory on Black Lightning.
Black Lightning starts filming this month, but has no official premiere date yet. We’ll let you know when that changes.
Source: Deadline

 

[manigamer]

[h=1]Black Lightning Pilot Casts Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Actress[/h]

TV series and movie franchises based on comic book superhero properties are now so ubiquitous that it’s becoming quite common for actors to appear in multiple different iterations on the same theme: Ray Stevenson went from playing The Punisher to one of Thor’s Warriors Three, Chris Evans was The Human Torch before he was Captain America and Batman Michael Keaton will rejoin the genre as The Vulture in the upcoming Marvel feature Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Now, superhero fans can add a new name to the ever-growing list of actors who just can’t stay away from the increasingly-dominant genre: Christine Adams, formerly “Agent Weaver” on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., will make the jump to the DC Extended Universe after landing a much sought-after supporting role in the highly-anticipated CW series Black Lightning. She will portray the title character’s ex-wife Lynn, whom Deadline describes as exuding “confidence and intelligence. Although she’s got a mischievous side, she’s not one to be trifled with when it comes to family.”

A veteran of both film and television, Adams has appeared in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Tron Legacy, Feed The Beast and the sci-fi series Terra Nova. On Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., her character of Agent Weaver was the head of the Agency’s Science & Technology Division and the mentor of series regulars Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons. Originally appearing only once in Season 1, she made a surprise return in Season 2 as a member of the battleship based “Second S.H.I.E.L.D.” that figured prominently in the S.H.I.E.L.D/Inhumans War. Her character has not reappeared on the series since, and her current status remains unconfirmed.
Created by onetime Luke Cage and Black Goliath scribe Tony Isabella in 1977, Black Lightning was the first DC Comics series to be headlined by a Black superhero. Though the original series lasted only 11 issues, the character was later revived as part of Batman & The Outsiders in 1983 and gradually became a fan favorite who now regularly appears across the DC Comics Universe. The new series is expected to break ranks with other more Millennial-centered CW DCEU series by featuring an older adult superhero, framing Cress Williams’ Black Lightning (real name: Jefferson Pierce) as a veteran costumed-crimefighter who comes out of retirement in order to aid his vigilantism-inclined daughter and protect his city from crime.
Black Lightning does not yet have a confirmed release date for The CW. If the series is picked up, the network is expected to begin running its DCEU properties at different times of the year, as opposed to running five nights all focused on superhero projects.
Source: Deadline

 

[manigamer]

Black Lightning: First Look At Cress Williams Suited Up

 

[manigamer]

The CW Orders Black Lightning to Series

The CW already has four superhero shows, but now has a fifth with Black Lightning being ordered to series. Producer Greg Berlanti began this superhero movement on The CW back with Arrow, but it has continued to grow seemingly every year since. The Flash was introduced in Arrow, while Legends of Tomorrow took supporting characters from each show, and Supergirl was saved from cancelation at CBS, though it takes place on a different Earth. This DC lineup already dominates CW’s programming, but they’re officially making room for another.
Black Lightninghas continued to gain steam since it was ordered to pilot near the beginning of the year. It has since seen its cast grow and was pegged to be a likely candidate to get a full series order. Now, The CW has made it official.
TV Line has revealed that The CW has officially ordered Black Lightning to series. There is no official word on when it will debut, but sometime in 2018 is a likely landing spot at this point. The series will star Cress Williams as Jefferson Pierce aka Black Lightning. Salim and Mara Brock Akil (Being Mary Jane) are serving as the showrunners. Along with Berlanti, the show will be produced by Sarah Schechter (The Flash).

This is clearly good news for the creative team involved and will continue CW’s reliance on DC properties. With their Arrow-verse already anchoring three days of the primetime schedule, it is unclear if Black Lightning will follow Legends‘ footsteps and follow Supergirl or Arrow to form a two-hour DC block on Monday or Wednesday, or if it will get its own separate day. The CW will have plenty of time to sort out time slots and premiere dates in the coming months, but now the attention will turn back to production.
Williams is not the only cast member to officially be part of the show to this point. Nefessar Williams and China Anne McCain have also been cast as Black Lightning’s daughters Jennifer and Anissa Pierce, who go by the codenames Thunder and Lightning. Also, the series added for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. actress Christine Adams as Williams’ ex-wife. Other than the family members that will be at the heart of the series, there has not been word on any other supporting roles or those with villainous tendencies. But, with a full series ahead of them, finalizing casting, scripts, and more will become Salim and Mara Broke Akil’s top priorities.




Black Lightning premieres on The CW at an unspecified date. Supergirl airs Mondays at 8pm on The CW, followed by The Flash on Tuesdays at 8pm, and Arrow on Wednesdays in the same timeslot. Legends of Tomorrow will return for season 3 on The CW.
Source: TV Line

 

[manigamer]

[h=1]Black Lighting First Look Trailer Strikes The CW[/h]

The CW’s superhero lineup is constantly expanding, and now fans have their first look at the newest offering, Black Lightning, with a brand new trailer that introduces the hero played by actor Cress Williams. Though the series isn’t due until the mid part of the 2017-2018 television season, the network has seen fit to assure audiences that the electrically charged hero is in fact coming and that he will continue the dominance of superheroes on television and The CW in general.


After its humble beginnings with a single street-level hero in Arrow, the network’s DC Comics-inspired shows brought in a host of familiar super powered characters, like The Flash and later Supergirl, while also enlisting some not-so-well-known characters, like the members of the ragtag group of time travelers in Legends of Tomorrow. The result has turned one of TV’s broadcast networks into a superhero haven, one that’s largely defined (because it dares to defy!) by its close association with capes and cowls (though there’s not a whole lot of capes), and now it has the chance to introduced its first solo series led by an African American actor, and one who is familiar to the network, since Williams appeared on Heart of Dixie.
With Arrowverse architect Greg Berlanti producing the series it will be interesting to see how Black Lightning fits into the network’s schedule and lineup as it will likely be assumed that the hero is joining the other costumed crime fighters. But according to the network’s president Mark Pedowitz, that’s not the case, as not only are there no plans to integrate Black Lightning into the Arrowverse but according to Pedowtiz, “We are going to have something very unique in Black Lightning, which is a little bit more than a superhero situation.”

As seen in the trailer, that “more than a superhero situation” focuses on the titular hero’s backstory, which sees Jefferson Pierce having retired from being Black Lightning for some time in order to be a husband to his wife and father to his two daughters. In that time, he’s also become a high school principal, which is certainly not a part of the typical superhero formula of young, single, and trying to figure out how to balance being a crime fighter with having a normal life. Pierce is also significantly older and more mature than, say Oliver Queen, Barry Allen, or Kara Danvers, and his responsibilities go beyond being a twenty-something in a world full of super powered individuals.
With that you can see why The CW is keen to keep Black Lightning distanced from the rest of the Arrowverse, so that it can develop it’s own story and unique take on the DC Comics character that inspired it without having to worry about shared universes or crossover events right away. That’s not saying Black Lightning will never be a part of the network’s web of comic series, as Pedowitz did say “Black Lightning at this time is not part of the Arrowverse.” The key part of that being the phrase: “at this time.”
All in all, it will be interesting to see how the series turns out, and whether or not the network finds a way or even wants to integrate it into the larger universe it has created.


Black Lightning is a midseason premiere on The CW.

 

[manigamer]

[h=1]Black Lighting Producer Wants to Introduce Static Shock on the Show[/h]

Static Shock could appear in a future episode of Black Lightning, if the showrunner has his way. The series, another DC property being adapted by The CW, is set to hit screens at some point during the 2017/2018 programming season, but so far there haven’t been too many details released. A synopsis and first-look trailer have given fans an idea of the basic premise and the core characters, and the network has officially announced that the show will not be joining the other Arrowverse series just yet.
However, fans have yet to find out which other comic characters might be making an appearance in the upcoming series. It can be assumed that existing Arrowverse characters won’t be showing up, at least, not until the shows cross over (if they do), but now the showrunner has spoken up about one character that he would love to see join the show.
Showrunner Salim Akil revealed that he would like to see Static Shock join the show, in a recent interview at the ATX Television Festival in Austin, reports ComicBook.com.

“I love the idea of Static Shock, and in success, hopefully, we’ll be able to pull other characters in in that way. So I’m holding out hope because I love that character.”
​

Static Shock will already be familiar to fans of the animated series of the same name, and for those looking forward to a potential webseries for the character which was rumored to be looking at Jayden Smith to star back in 2015. For new fans, Static Shock is the superhero alter ego of Virgil Hawkins, a Teen Titan with electric powers similar to Black Lightning himself.
Static Shock is certainly a popular character who could become another younger cast member for Black Lightning, and whose powers match that of the lead in an interesting way. Assuming that The CW would be able to get the rights to the character, it could be a fantastic addition to the show.
However, those rights might not be easy to procure. Although the webseries has been languishing in development for some time now, if it’s still in the works, that could prevent the network from using the character themselves. In addition, Static Shock has so much in common with Black Lightning in terms of powers that it might be more interesting to have him show up elsewhere (although similarly power characters is certainly working for The Flash).
Black Lightning is a midseason premiere on The CW.


Source: ComicBook.com

 

[manigamer]

[h=1]The Villain Black Lightning Season 1 Will Focus On[/h]
Black Lightning‘s first season is going to have Tobias Whale as a big bad, according to executive producer Salim Akil. The show, which is set for a midseason premiere on The CW, is the latest superhero series for the network, but is going to be a little bit different to the Arrowverse. For one thing, Black Lightning will not be crossing over with the network’s other DC properties, but will exist in its own universe (for now, at least). In addition, the show features an older, retired superhero rather than an origin story, and a trailer that puts the focus on the characters, not the superpowers.
Fans have been getting more news about the upcoming show this week, as Black Lightning executive producers Salim Akil and Mara Brock Akil appeared at the ATX Television Festival in Austin, Texas to talk about the show. Salim Akil has already spoken about how he would love to see Static Shock appear in the series, and has now also confirmed the big bad for season 1.
Salim confirmed to the IBTimes that the most ‘interesting’ villain right now is a man called Tobias, and that the show is going to be more character driven than some of the other CW offerings.

“It’s a character driven show. I don’t know if there’s going to be a fight every week. There’s certainly not going to be a villain of the week. I don’t want to do that. We really want to explore the characters, even the villains. I think one of the most interesting characters right now from a storytelling standpoint is Tobias. Because we’re not having him sort of twist his mustache. His hatred for himself and for others comes from a real place, so we want to know why he’s like that.”
​

In the comics, Tobias Whale is the criminal leader of the 100 gang, a violent crime boss who first appeared in Black Lightning #1. Whale and Black Lightning have gone head to head many times, before the gangster was finally defeated.
As a villain for Black Lightning, Tobias Whale makes a lot of sense. He is one of the superheroes’ classic foes, and the 100 has already been mentioned in the trailer and the synopsis as the gang that the hero goes up against. He also fits with the show’s focus on the character and the community, rather than his superpowers, as Tobias is a villain who has the potential to be truly connected to Black Lightning’s community and his past. There’s no news yet on who will be playing Tobias, but this is sure to emerge soon.
Black Lightning is set for a midseason premiere on The CW.



Source: IBTimes

 

[mac007]

when is this show arriving??

 

[Pleasant]

I want a Batman show by Berlanti and Kreisberg, with Guggenheim far away as possible

is there going to be a batman series ?

 

[Gintoki]

is there going to be a batman series ?

Nope. So far we will only see only Ben Affleck as Batman in the DCEU.


There is a Teen Titans live action in development by Geoff Johns and Greg Berlanti, so there could be a Batman 'cameo', since it has nightwing in it. Just a possibility, but probably unlikely.

 

[manigamer]

[h=1]Black Lightning Season 1 Adds James Remar & Damon Gupton[/h]

Black Lightning adds two new cast members, James Remar and Damon Gupton, as series regulars. The show marks a departure from the usual superhero expectation in that Jefferson Pierce is pulled out of retirement out of necessity. The series stars Cress Williams as Jefferson Pierce/Black Lightning; Nafessa Williams as his oldest daughter, Anissa Pierce; and China Anne McClain as her younger sister, Jennifer Pierce. He’s a middle-aged father with daughters and deals with issues that are relevant today and are rooted in real world problems, like the gang violence that has rocked his city.
The series does not begin with an origin story of how Pierce gained his metahuman abilities. Instead, based on the first Black Lightning trailer, fans come into his life after he’s not been a “hero” for nearly 10 years. He’s just trying to live a normal life, but the crime lord who’s got a tight grip on the city, Tobias Whale, has other plans. Whale, the expected big bad of the first season, has not been cast yet.
[h=3]Related: Black Lightning Suits Up in New Image[/h]However, during The CW’s San Diego Comic-Con panel, Deadline reports that the series announced two additions to the cast as series regulars. Veteran actor, and no stranger to DC TV after a stint on Gotham, James Remar has joined Black Lightning to play Peter Gambi. Damon Gupton (Criminal Minds, Bates Motel) will be stepping in as the highest ranking detective on the local police force. The characters full descriptions are as follows:

Peter Gambi, the oldest friend of Jefferson Pierce. Gambi is Jefferson’s father figure, mentor and ‘tailor.’ His history with Jefferson goes back farther and deeper than anyone knows, and Gambi’s role in Jefferson’s life will become a painful window into the past that will affect the future of their relationship forever.
​

Inspector Henderson, a veteran officer of the law who is now the highest-ranking detective on the force. His role in the community puts him at odds with Black Lightning, but they soon become unlikely allies.
​

The description of Gambi feels like the character will have an inside track on both Jefferson Pierce and his Black Lightning alter-ego. Seeing as how he’s Pierce’s oldest friend, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if the character takes on an Alfred-esque role to the former superhero.
Black Lighting has’t actually filmed its first season yet, but CW is abuzz about the new series showing off a TV Guide cover and a new sizzle reel at Comic-Con. Not officially part of the Arrowverse (but don’t count out a crossover), the series is slated for a mid-season premiere. Even without ties to the larger Arrowverse, showrunner Salim Akil might be taking a page out executive producer Greg Berlanti’s book by using Black Lightning to introduce another, more well known DC character in Static Shock. From one lightning bug to another, this series is as good a jumping off point as any to get a live action Static Shock series on the small screen.
[h=2]

Black Lightning is expected to debut on The CW in January 2018.[/h]Source: Deadline

 

[manigamer]

[h=1]Black Lightning Casts Jill Scott as the Villain Lady Eve[/h]

The CW’s Black Lightning has added yet another villain to its ranks, in the form of Lady Eve. What started as a Dark-Knight-inspired take on the Green Arrow on The CW eventually spun itself into four live-action shows and two animated DC TV series. Next week, Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, and Legends of Tomorrow will all return for new adventures that will culminate in their epic team-up this year. Even Vixen and Freedom Fighters: The Ray will have an impact on these stories.
Though Black Lightning won’t arrive until the spring of next year and will be separate from the Arrowverse, fans are still hoping that Cress Williams will one day shared the screen with the likes of Oliver Queen, Barry Allen, and Kara Danvers, among others. The sizzle reel for The CW’s DC shows has already included the hero, so it doesn’t seem out of the realm of possibilities one day. In the meantime, however, Black Lightning will have plenty to deal with on his end.






EW is reporting that Grammy-winning singer Jill Scott will be playing the villainous Lady Eve on Black Lightning. In the show, she will serve as a go-between for a secret cabal of individuals and crime lord Tobias Whale (Marvin Jones III) and his gang The 100.

In the comics, Lady Eve made her debut in 1985’s Batman and the Outsiders #24, where she was a member of the nefarious Kobra Cult. In all likelihood, that will be the mysterious group that she represents on the Black Lightning TV show. She’ll present herself, however, as the operator of a funeral parlor in the city of Freeland where Black Lightning takes place. It won’t be long until she butts heads with Black Lightning himself, of course.
While Scott is mostly known as a musician, she’s appeared on a number of TV shows over the years, ranging from Fringe to Law & Order: SVU. She even voice Storm in the animated Black Panther series, so she’s no stranger to comic book adaptations.
As for Black Lightning – the TV show will see Jefferson Davis reluctantly return to the world of crime fighting while also watching his daughters start to enter that life themselves. The show is also said to have quite a different tone from The CW’s Arrowverse TV series, which could prove to be something of an obstacle to the possibility of Jefferson Davis crossing paths with Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl and the Legends on the small screen, sometime in the future.
[h=2]

Black Lightning premieres on The CW in early 2018.[/h]Source: EW

 

[manigamer]

[h=1]Black Lightning Sets Premiere Date; Legends of Tomorrow is Moving[/h]

Months after The CW teased viewers with an elaborate sneak peek of Black Lightning, its newest DC Comics superhero offering, the network finally announces an early 2018 premiere date for the series that will postpone the return of Legends of Tomorrow season 3 until February. The late start for the time-traveling heroes aboard the Waverider means Black Lightning will take their prime Tuesday night at 9pm real estate with The Flash as a lead-in, potentially providing the show with a healthy audience when it makes its debut.
The announcement comes as part of The CW’s updated midseason 2018 schedule that sees the majority of its Arrowverse shows returning from the holiday hiatus in mid-January, along with shows like Riverdale, Dynasty, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and Jane the Virgin. Valor the network’s military drama that premiered earlier this year is the lone standout, as it will resume airing new episodes starting on New Year’s Day.


A delayed return for Legends of Tomorrow also means that the series will return with a new night and time. The most likely place on the schedule will be Monday nights following Supergirl, once the network has burned off the remaining episodes of Valor season 1, which ends on January 29. Check out The CW’s updated schedule below for the various midseason premiere dates: