Deadline is reporting that Ava DuVernay's Array Filmworks and Warner Bros. Television have cast up-and-comer Kaci Walfall (Army Wives; Power; The Lion King on Broadway) as the lead in their upcoming DC drama Naomi, which has already received a pilot order from The CW.
In addition to Walfall, they've also cast Alexander Wraith (Orange Is the New Black, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Cranston Johnson (Filthy Rich, P-Valley, Hap and Leonard), and newcomer Camila Moreno in series regular roles.
The series revolves follows a teen girl’s journey from her small northwestern town to the heights of the multiverse. When a supernatural event shakes her hometown to the core, Naomi sets out to uncover its origins, and what she discovers will challenge everything we believe about our heroes.
The Academy Award-nominated DuVernay will serve as the writer and executive producer on the project alongside Arrow veteran Jill Blankenship. The show is based on the 2019 comic book series of the same name by Brian Michael Bendis and David F. Walker and illustrated by breakout artist Jamal Campbell.
Naomi is described as an "effortlessly cool and confident high school student who is the adopted daughter of doting parents. Popular with all the kids in her military town, Naomi is unafraid to embrace her AP-student, comic book–loving nerdiness. After a supernatural event leads to the discovery of her powers within, Naomi pursues her hidden destiny."
Wraith will play Dee, "the owner of a local tattoo parlor. When a strange event leaves the town in chaos, Dee hints that he knows more than he is willing to tell.," and Johnson will play Zumbado, "the mysterious owner of a local used car lot. Having heard troubling rumors about his past, Naomi actively tries to avoid him, but a tense encounter leaves her both shaken and curious."
Meanwhile, Moreno will play Lourdes, "a young woman with a sarcastic sense of humor who works in a vintage collectibles shop. She has an unrequited crush on Naomi, and she shares her obsession with classic comics. She is also happy to join in on Naomi’s schemes."
With the leads now cast, it seems likely filming on the pilot will begin sometime this Spring, presumably preparing itself for a potential 2021/2022 debut.