The Black Lightning spinoff Painkiller is building up its cast for the potential Arrowverse drama. While Jefferson Pierce’s adventures on The CW are ending after Black Lightning‘s ongoing final season, it’s not necessarily over for one of the Freeland characters. One of the final episodes of Black Lightning season 4 will serve as a backdoor pilot for Jordan Calloway’s Khalil Payne a.k.a. Painkiller.
Episode 7 will serve as a taste of what Painkiller would look like as Khalil protects the streets of Akashic Valley. But the series would also focus on the anti-hero struggling with his Painkiller persona. The backdoor pilot will likely air in March, should there be no breaks in between. While little else is known about the proposed spinoff, Painkiller is now starting to flesh out its cast.
According to Deadline, Painkiller has added Sibongile Mlambo, Alexander Hodge, and James Roch as Maya, Philky, and Cousin Donald respectively. Maya is a mysterious and cold leader, while Philky is a former Gotham citizen with a rough past that helps Khalil as his tech master. Lastly, Cousin Donald, a former Marine Medic, is someone who understands Khalil better than anyone as he has a similar duality.
It’s unclear if these additions to Painkiller are original Arrowverse creations or established DC characters, though the former seems most likely as of now. It’s possible additional cast members may be announced for Painkiller before the backdoor pilot airs later this season of Black Lightning. However, this new information should only increase excitement for the potential series.
Source: Deadline
Originally from https://screenrant.com/black-lightning-spinoff-painkiller-cast-mlambo-hodge-roch/