Boy, this all happened fast! Back in February, we learned thatGreg Berlanti’sBlack Lightningseries was moving from FOX to join Berlanti’s other DC heroes on The CW, shortly after formerHart of DixiestarCress Williamslanded the role, and with production already underway today brings the first official look at Williams suited up and he is 100% on brand for The CW’s DCTV aesthetic. The newBlack Lightningcostume is designed byScott Pilgrim vs. The WorldandIron Mancostume designerLaura Jean Shannon.
“I knew way too much about the world as a young boy growing up in Richmond, California,” said writerSalim Akilin the press release. “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 whenBlack Lightningwas created, and finally there was a Black Super Hero 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 Lightningwill be that hope,” he added. “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 Super Heroes.”
Check out the full first image below:
Black Lightningwill be written bySalim AkilandMara Brock Akil, and if you’re unfamiliar, here’s Allison’s handy summary of the hero.
Black Lightning’s powers are exactly what you would expect: He’s a metahuman who can control electro-magnetic fields around his body, and can use it to stun or even kill as necessary. He can also use it to launch projectiles, and it gives him limited flight abilities as well. In the comics, he’s helped re-start Superman’s heart, and has also honed his combat skills under Batman’s tutelage. So yeah, he sounds like a badass.
Pierce’s two daughters–Anissa a.k.a. Thunder, a member of the Outsiders, and Jennifer a.k.a. Lightning, recruited by the Justice Society of America–are also active vigilantes in the comics, and it looks like the TV series will be headed in the same direction.
