The weather is changing over in the CW's Arrowverse. In the eight years since the premiere of Arrow, the interconnected universe of DC Comics properties has expanded to seven series with a widening connection to shows on DC Universe (now HBO Max) and more. But after the series finale of Arrow, the announcement that Supergirl would end after the upcoming fifth season had hit fans hard. Now, Black Lightning will also come to a close with the recent announcement that the fourth season will be its last.
Black Lightning did not originate as a part of the Arrowverse but was pulled in during the 2019 Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event. The annual crossover has become a staple of the CW series and last year's installment was by far the biggest. The series followed high school principal Jefferson Pierce (Cress Williams) who is a former superhero pulled back in due to violence in his city. His children also become heroes and join him in the fight against Tobias Whale. It was just recently announced that The CW is developing a spin-off titled Painkiller featuring Jordan Calloway reprising his role from the show.
In talking about Black Lightning coming to an end, executive producer Salim Akil released the following statement:
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.
It remains to be seen if Painkiller is still going to happen as a successor to Black Lightning, though if Akil's enthusiasm is any indication, the CW will continue to pursue the spinoff.
What do you think about Black Lightning coming to an end? Let us know in the comments section below.