Despite receiving a big production commitment at Fox, Deadline reports that Black Lightning is on its way to The CW. The network already hosts Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl, iZombie, and Riverdale, but a new comic book property being added to its lineup is surprising considering the fact that the network's president has said he doesn't want it to become known just for those.
Greg Berlanti is developing the series alongside The Game and Being Mary Jane creator Mara Brock Akil and her husband Salim Akil. Fox decided against shooting the pilot after deciding "that the superhero show was not a good fit into its already crowded genre drama space that includes the DC/WBTV series Gotham and Lucifer, Seth MacFarlane’s upcoming space dramedy, and two pilots, the X-Men-themed drama written by Matt Nix and The Passage, all from 20th TV." That makes sense!
One of the first major African America heroes in DC Comics history, this news also means that Black Lightning will be part of the same universe as Green Arrow and The Flash, unless of course, he ends up in another world like Supergirl (which seems highly unlikely considering the fact that the main reason for that being the case was that the show originally premiered on CBS and referenced Superman).
Black Lightning revolves around Jefferson Pierce. 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.