Black superheroes are breaking loose
You’d really have to be ignoring the Internet lately to miss that Black Panther hits theaters this weekend.
The film, the first movie of Marvel’s decade-old Cinematic Universe to feature a black lead, shows early signs of a phenomenon, earning critical raves and predictions that it will easily conquer the box office.
Chadwick Boseman’s version of the character joins a surge in black superheroes, especially on TV.
Black Lightning and Luke Cage lead their own series on CW and Netflix, respectively. If you loved Black Panther (or can’t wait to see it), it’s worth checking out these two shows that examine the superhero experience from a black man’s perspective.
Black Lightning (CW, Tuesdays, 9 ET/PT)
The superhero is the first of CW’s DC Comics series with a black actor in the starring role, and it’s the most grown-up series. Cress Williams ( Heart of Dixie) plays Jefferson Pierce, who has the power to harness electricity. Jefferson is a father, a school principal and a community leader. Mara Brock Akil, who created the series with her husband, Salim, said in January that the series shows that people fighting for their communities “are heroes themselves, just by their own survival.”
Black Lightning doesn’t shy away from addressing racial issues: An early scene in the series premiere finds Jefferson in a tense confrontation with police officers after he’s pulled over.
Black Lightning also features another hero, Jefferson’s daughter, Anissa (Nafessa Williams), who has powers of her own.
Luke Cage (Season 1 streaming on Netflix)
Mike Colter first appeared as the Marvel hero, who has super-strength and unbreakable skin, on Jessica Jones, where he and Jessica were lovers, allies and sometimes enemies. But on his own series, he started to truly shine. Luke Cage is one of the strongest Marvel series on Netflix, with a knockout performance from Colter and a strong supporting turn from Oscar winner Mahershala Ali as the villainous Cottonmouth.
The series examines Luke’s relationship to his Harlem community and his own identity as a black man. “I’ve worn hoodies for years, and the fact of the matter is, I wanted to show that a black man can be in a hoodie and be a hero,” creator Cheo Hodari Coker told USA TODAY in 2016. “‘Thug’ has become the new n-word to a certain extent. This, in a way, is turning it around.”
Luke returned last August for the lackluster Defenders team-up as one of the bright spots in an otherwise mediocre series. His solo series is expected to return this year for its second season.