Greg Berlanti’s newest DC Comics project is headed for The CW, as the network has just picked up “Black Lightning” to pilot.
The project, previously set up at Fox, follows Jefferson Pierce, who 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.
Created by writer Tony Isabella and artist Trevor Von Eeden, Black lightning is one of the first major African American superheroes to appear in DC Comics. The character debuted in 1977 in a self-titled series that ran for 11 issues.
The husband-and-wife team of Mara Brock Akil and Salim Akil are writing the pilot, which comes from Warner Bros. TV and will be executive produced by the Akils along with Berlanti and Sarah Schechter.
Berlanti is also the executive producer of four DC comic book adaptation series on The CW, “Arrow,” “The Flash,” “Legends of Tomorrow” and “Supergirl,” though it’s unclear at this point if “Black Lightning” would join the so-called “Arrowverse” or exist in its own world.
The Akils signed an overall deal with WBTV in August of 2015, and have multi-camera comedy “Documenting Love” at ABC with a pilot production commitment for this development season.
“Black Lightning” marks The CW’s sixth pilot order, joining military drama “Valor,” a reboot of 80s soap “Dynasty,” sci-fi drama “Searchers,” also from Berlanti, Lucy Hale-led dramedy “Life Sentence” and beauty pageant drama “Insatiable.”