The CW is the place to be on the small screen when it comes to DC Comics superheroes, and we've known for a while now that the next big hero with a show of his own in the works is none other than Black Lightning. The project is currently in production, but we haven't gotten an official sneak peek at the leading man or his costume... until now. The first look at Black Lightning has hit the web, and it's totally badass. Check him out!
Black Lightning will star Cress Williams as Jefferson Pierce, who has actually retired from the superhero game and is living a quiet life as a teacher. When his daughter develops a passion for fighting crime, vigilante-style, and one of his students ends up tangled up with a gang, Jefferson will be drawn back into the life of fighting injustice. He'll retake the mantle of Black Lightning, and he'll clearly look absolutely epic while doing it.
In DC Comics lore, Black Lightning has the ability to absorb, direct, and even generate electricity. The character has used technology to enhance his skills at different points throughout his comic history, including a belt. Jefferson's superhero suit for Black Lightning doesn't seem to include a belt, but the light on his abdomen looks like it could be a source of electricity. We'll have to wait and see.
The costume for Black Lightning on the show was designed by Laura Jean Shannon, who has designed outfits for many major TV and film projects in the past, including Blade: Trinity and Iron Man. It hasn't been confirmed whether or not Black Lightning will take place in the same superhero universe as Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, and Supergirl; if it does, we can probably expect some costume envy from a lot of the existing heroes.
Oliver Queen is the best-equipped archer on the superhero circuit, Barry Allen knows how to wear a red cowl like nobody's business, and Ray Palmer mastered his A.T.O.M. supersuit, but Jefferson Pierce's Black Lighting suit might be the most imposing (and awesome) of them all. It should be interesting to see how it looks in live action as opposed to in this still. Who knows? Maybe we'll get another Superhero Fight Club at some point, even if Black Lightning isn't from one of the Earths in the Arrow-verse. Given that Black Lightning is being produced by CW superhero super-producer Greg Berlanti, however, I'd say that the odds are pretty good that there are connections between the shows.
We don't yet know when exactly Black Lightning might hit the airwaves on The CW. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest in superhero TV news, and don't forget to take a look at our summer TV premiere schedule.
