These days, if anything at all has appeared in a comic book, you can bet some executive somewhere is trying to figure out how to turn it into a movie or TV show, and that’s particularly true of any properties in the Marvel or DC Comics realm. Today, yet another character for the latter is headed to the small screen.
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Deadline reports that the ever busy Greg Berlanti, who already has his hand in superhero series “Arrow,” “The Flash,” and “Supergirl,” is now working on a “Black Lightning” drama series. Mara Brock Akil and her husband Salim Akil are penning the project for the character which has been kicking around since the 1970s. The story will focus on a retired superhero who is forced back into action by his vengeance-seeking daughter and the actions of a local gang who have their eyes on a star student. Here’s the DC Wikia summary of what you need to know about Black Lightning:
Black Lightning is a super-hero with the ability to generate and control lightning. Originally he was a high school principal and Olympic-level athlete who became a vigilante to take down organized crime in Metropolis’ Suicide Slum. Eventually he would become a member of Batman’s team of Outsiders for many years, although he retired briefly to become secretary of education underneath president Lex Luthor. Returning to crime-fighting, he has also been a member of the Justice League. His two daughters operate as the super-heroes Thunder and Lightning.
As usual, the series will be shopped around, but The CW, where Berlanti pretty much has a second home, seems like an obvious fit, as does Netflix. This project has been developing for years, so let’s hope “Black Lightning” finally gets going, and hey, maybe Terrence Howard will finally get his wish.