The Cast for The CW’s ‘Black Lightning’ So Far
The latest DC show to go to pilot over at The CW is, of course, Black Lightning. Salim Akil, Mara Brock Akil, and (of course) Greg Berlanti are producing, and the Akils are showrunning it should it get picked up to series.
First of all, Cress Williams will be playing the titular character Jefferson Pierce. Williams has a long resume which includes shows like Hart of Dixie, Code Black, and E.R., though he also appeared as Baron Sunday on Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman way back in 1996.
Secondly, the daughters of Jefferson Pierce, Jennifer and Anissa have also been cast. China Anne McClain has been cast as Jennifer Pierce, the younger of the two. Jennifer is in high school, and while she’s a star student, Jennifer has a bit of a rebellious streak. The older daughter, Anissa, will be played by Nafessa Williams. Anissa is in her twenties and enrolled in medical school.
In the comics, eventually the daughters become superheroes themselves, using the names Lightning and Thunder, though we don’t know if we’ll see this in the show (again should it be picked up to series).