Another Arrowverse show is winding down, according to the CW. It has been revealed that season 4 of Black Lightning will be the show's last with no official word on why it wasn't renewed. This is despite the fact that the Arrowverse, a shared universe that houses several DC TV shows, has been making some big waves lately with events like Crisis On Infinite Earths and a Black Lightning spin-off already in the works. Showrunner Salim Akil took the time to address the news, releasing a statement in thanks to those who made the show possible.
"Thank you to the phenomenal cast, writers and crew without whom none of this would’ve been possible. I’m incredibly proud of the work we’ve been able to do and the moments we’ve been able to create in bringing DC’s first African-American family of super heroes to life for the culture." The show seemed to resonate with audiences and critics, garnering mostly positive reviews and decent viewership, pulling in similar numbers to The Flash early on. Though there has been a slight decline in views with season 3, falling by about 20% from the previous season.
The story of Black Lightning features Jefferson Pierce, a retired superhero and current teacher. After the pilot episode inspires him to put his costume back on to rescue his kidnapped daughters, he returns to hero duty to stop 'The 100,' a dangerous gang trying to take over his city. Along the way his daughters began developing powers as well. Over time they joined the superpowered struggles as Thunder and Lightning, fighting with their father.
Black Lightning was popular enough to get a spin-off greenlit, focused on the character of Painkiller, played by Jordan Calloway. In his statement, Salim Akil looked forwards to the next chapter of the Arrowverse: "I’m very grateful to Peter Roth, Warner Bros. TV, Mark Pedowitz, The CW Network and Greg Berlanti for their partnership and support of my vision at every step of this journey. While Season Four may be the end of one journey, I’m extremely excited to usher in a new chapter and continued collaboration with The CW as we tell the story of Painkiller.”
Source: Entertainment Weekly