‘Black Lightning’ Spinoff About Painkiller to Air as Backdoor Pilot in Season 4

Meredith Jacobs November 12, 2020, 2:00 pm

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Jordan Calloway Painkiller Black Lightning — The CW

The world of Black Lightning — and therefore the Arrowverse, thanks to “Crisis on Infinite Earths” — may be expanding.

A planted pilot spinoff, titled Painkiller, following Jordan Calloway’s Khalil Payne, is in the works and will air as the seventh episode of the upcoming Black Lightning Season 4 (set to premiere on the CW on Monday, February 8 at 9/8c).

It will follow Khalil, who is “ridden with the guilt” due to his time as the super-enhanced killing machine known as Painkiller (as both part of Tobias Whale’s gang and a weapon of Agent Odell and the shadowy ASA). “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,” the logline reads.

“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.”

Salim Akil (Black Lightning) will executive produce, write, and direct the pilot, based on characters Tony Isabella, with Eddie Newell, created for DC.

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This potential spinoff comes after Arrow and The 100 each aired one in their final seasons (Green Arrow and the Canaries and a prequel, respectively). Neither of those have been picked up (so far). And Nancy Drew may be getting a spinoff as well, with the character of Tom Swift set to be introduced in its second season.