The CW's Black Lightning spinoff series Painkiller added three more actors to its cast.
Actors Alexander Hodge, Sibongile Mlambo and James Roch have boarded Painkiller, as reported by Deadline. Should Painkiller be green-lit, Hodge, Mlambo and Roch will costar as Philky, Maya and Cousin Donald, respectively. Black Lightning showrunner Salim Akil will also write and executive produce the spinoff series for The CW network.
Philky's character is described as "ruggedly handsome with long raven hair, ink art on his body and one born from a strong Chinese lineage." He once lived as a homeless alcoholic in Gotham City but now works as a bartender and uses his tech skills to help Khalil. Hodge played Andrew Tan on Issa Rae's HBO comedy series Insecure.
Maya is a "strikingly attractive woman yet is icy and mysterious" and not someone to mess with, according to her character's description. Mlambo costarred on Netflix's Lost in Space and Freeform's Sirens, in addition to playing a recurring role on HBO's Lovecraft Country.
Cousin Donald is described as a "larger-than-life, gentle giant who wears a distinct uniform -- head-to-toe leather with matching boots -- a juxtaposition of his military past." Roch played recurring roles in the television series The Night Shift and Shadow Love.
Khalil Payne (Jordan Calloway) was introduced in Black Lightning's first season as a talented track star and student at Freeland High School -- where Jefferson Pierce/Black Lightning was Principal -- before becoming the super-powered Painkiller later in the season. Episode 7 of Black Lightning's fourth and final season will serve as a backdoor pilot for the Painkiller spinoff series.
The synopsis for Painkiller reads,
Based on characters created for DC by Tony Isabella with Eddie Newell, "Painkiller" follows Khalil Payne (Calloway), a young man ridden with the guilt of his troubled past from his former life in Freeland City. As a super-enhanced killing machine known as Painkiller, he was both a member 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 his. As his violent, destructive history crashes his idyllic new beginning, Khalil is thrust 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.
Black Lightning stars Cress Williams as Jefferson Pierce/Black Lightning, China Anne McClain as Jennifer Pierce, Nafessa Williams as Anissa Pierce/Thunder, Christine Adams as Lynn Stewart, Marvin "Krondon" Jones III as Tobias Whale and James Remar as Peter Gambi. New episodes air Mondays on The CW.
Source: Deadline
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