The upcoming fourth season will be the last for The CW’s Black Lightning. This marks the second major “Arrowverse” cancellation to come in weeks as it was previously reported that Supergirl will also end after its forthcoming sixth season. Earlier this year, the first “Arrowverse” series, Arrow, wrapped up after eight installments.
Showrunner and executive producer, Salim Akil, issued a statement saying:
“When we first started the Black Lighting journey, I knew that Jefferson Pierce and his family of powerful Black women would be a unique addition to the superhero genre. The love that Blerds and all comic book fans around the globe have shown this series over the past three seasons proved what we imagined, Black people want to see themselves in all their complexities. Thank you to the phenomenal cast, writers and crew without whom none of this would’ve been possible. I’m incredibly proud of the work we’ve been able to do and the moments we’ve been able to create in bringing DC’s first African-American family of superheroes to life for the culture.
“I’m very grateful to Peter Roth, Warner Bros. TV, Mark Pedowitz, The CW Network and Greg Berlanti for their partnership and support of my vision at every step of this journey. While season four may be the end of one journey, I’m extremely excited to usher in a new chapter and continued collaboration with The CW as we tell the story of Painkiller.”
Even though Supergirl has been cancelled, its legacy will live on in the new series Superman & Lois. Likewise, as Akil expressed, plans are underway for Black Lightning to live on in a sense, as Painkiller. A show centered on Jordan Calloway’s character, Khalil Payne, is in development, and the seventh episode of the upcoming fourth season of Black Lightning will serve as a backdoor pilot for this potential spinoff.
Black Lightning was originally developed to air on FOX, but after that network passed, The CW snapped it up. Because it was not originally intended for The CW, the show was not initially part of its “Arrowverse,” but that was rectified with last year’s “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover event, which saw both Black Lightning and Supergirl‘s Earths merged with those of Arrow, The Flash, and Legends of Tomorrow.
The Season Four premiere of Black Lightning will air on The CW on Monday, February 8 at 9/8c. The series stars Cress Williams as Jefferson Pierce, China Anne McClain as Jennifer Pierce, Nafessa Williams as Anissa Pierce, Christine Adams as Lynn Stewart, Marvin “Krondon” Jones III as Tobias Whale, James Remar as Peter Gambi, Chantal Thuy as Grace Choi, and Calloway.
Source: TV Line
