The CW Finds Its Black Lightning In Cress Williams

Today is the day many a DC fan have been waiting for, as we now know who will inhabit the lead role of Jefferson Pierce for The CW’s Black Lightning pilot: Cress Williams. Quite frankly, his casting shouldn’t come as too much of a shocker, as the network likes to keep employing actors they’ve become familiar with and his experience on Hart of Dixie may very well have helped stack the deck in his favor.

Although Williams brings a bit of a suave nature to the role, let’s not forget that he can play characters with a bit of an edge. Case in point, refer to his recurring role as Wyatt on Prison Break’s fourth season. Suffice it to say, The CW is going to need a leading man who can give a multilayered performance if this series is going to work.

Getting into specifics, here’s how Pierce has thus far been described:

He made his choice: He hung up the suit and his secret identity years ago, but with a daughter hellbent 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.

Although that’s no doubt intentionally vague, it does line up with recent rumored plot points that found their way online. And although Black Lightning doesn’t have a target premiere date, knowing that it’s produced by Greg Berlanti and is intended to be set within the Arrowverse can do nothing but help it get a series order.