The CWVerse might be getting a little bigger with the news that a Painkiller spinoff from Black Lightning is in the works.
Deadline reports that the pilot spinoff will develop in Black Lightning’s seventh episode and that showrunner Salim Akil will write, direct and serve as executive producer. Black Lightning kicks off its fourth season in February.
The planted pilot spinoff will air as the seventh episode of Black Lightning’s fourth season, which will premiere in February 2021.
Jordan Calloway will take his Khalil Payne character away from Freeland City and head to a new location.
“After attempting to bury the darker, devastatingly lethal Painkiller part of his persona, Khalil has distanced himself away from everyone he knows and loves in a new city, Akashic Valley, in order to find peace, but peace never comes easy for men with pasts like Khalil Payne and Painkiller,” according to Deadline. “As his violent, destructive history crashes his idyllic new beginning, Khalil is thrusted back into action with a new mission – bring justice where he once gave out punishment – but to do that, he will first have to deal with and harness his darker side, Painkiller.”
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We saw how much the final season of Arrow was impacted by trying to work in the spin-off Green Arrow and The Canaries, but Painkiller has the benefit of spinning off a character that’s been a vital part of the series since the start unlike Green Arrow’s daughter.
Green Arrow and The Canaries apparently did not receive the green light for a series so there’s no guarantee that a Painkiller series will actually happen, but it is interesting that the CW is looking at him as as the spin-off vehicle instead of one of Jefferson’s super-powered daughters.
What do you think? Interested in this spinoff idea?