The Black Lightning pilot has cast CW veteran Cress Williams as the titular hero.
Williams, who was recently on The CW on Hart of Dixie, will play Jefferson Pierce, a hero who “hung up the suit and his secret identity years ago,” Variety reports. However, “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.”
Black Lightning, which is being executive produced by Greg Berlanti, was originally ordered to pilot at Fox. When it was passed over, it landed at The CW alongside Berlanti’s other superhero properties: Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl.
The casting call for Jefferson Pierce called him “Handsome, fit with an athletic build.” He is described as a “former 3-time gold medal decathlon winner who is now principal of a high school in South Central Los Angeles.” Moreover, he is “a father figure to his students and hero to the local community.”
Personality-wise, Jefferson is described as “charming, charismatic, smart, and has both warmth and humor.” Jefferson is a loving man who is “devoted to his two daughters and remains deeply in love with his ex-wife Lynn.” Additionally, Jefferson “has a great passion for justice and a quick temper that he has spent years learning how to control.”
The Black Lightning pilot is also casting Anissa and Jennifer, Jefferson’s two daughters, and Lynn, Jefferson’s ex-wife.
The pilot is currently set to shoot in Atlanta in March. The other Berlanti-verse shows currently shoot in Vancouver. As of yet, there’s no news as to whether the show will be a part of the Arrow-verse or if it will stand alone.
Williams’s numerous other credits include Code Black, Friday Night Lights and Prison Break.