Last updated: March 22, 2021
Khalil “Painkiller” Payne was first introduced in season 1 of the Arrowverse’s Black Lightning and he’s getting his own backdoor pilot in season 4. Black Lightning was renewed in early 2020, but The CW canceled the series in November 2020. The news came as a bit of a shock, especially considering that superhero shows on the network tend to air for a lot longer than four seasons. Shortly following the announcement, a Black Lightning spinoff that centered Painkiller was revealed to be in the works.
The Painkiller spinoff will begin with a backdoor pilot meant to establish Khalil's world outside of the parent show and the episode will air during Black Lightning season 4. This tactic is similar to how Arrow attempted to launch Green Arrow and the Canaries by using its penultimate season 8 episode to set up the characters and plot. While the latter never moved forward at The CW, the Painkiller spinoff has a shot at getting a series order for the 2021-2022 TV season.
With the backdoor pilot fast approaching, here’s everything you need to know about the Painkiller episode that will establish a potential spinoff, who’s in the cast, and how it will connect to Black Lightning.
Painkiller Backdoor Pilot Details
Painkiller’s backdoor pilot was announced November 12, 2020 and will air as the seventh episode in Black Lightning’s fourth season. The events of the episode will follow Khalil in the aftermath of his brainwashing at the hands of the ASA, an organization that resurrected his dead body and forced him to commit unspeakable acts of violence, including the murder of his mother. While Khalil was able to break from the mind control with the help of Jennifer Pierce, he struggled to deal with what he’d done and the deadly part of his programming.
The official synopsis reveals Painkiller has moved to a new city, Akashic Valley, to start fresh. While Khalil is haunted by his past, he’ll begin a rehabilitation process that will see him working towards justice instead of violent punishment. He’ll be doing all this while also working to balance both sides of himself after the events of Black Lightning season 3. The episode will be written by Black Lightning showrunner Salim Akil.
How It Connects To Black Lightning
Painkiller has been through a very, well, painful ordeal during his time on Black Lightning. He began working with Tobias Whale after a shooting left him paralyzed from the waist down. A bio implant got him up and moving again, turning him into Painkiller. While all this information will surely be important to the backdoor pilot, the episode will actually pick up after Khalil leaves the ASA. However, the fact the backdoor pilot is not even set in Freeland implies that, like Painkiller himself, this potential spinoff is starting from scratch. Surely there will be some loose connections to Black Lightning, but everything points to the backdoor pilot (and a possible series) being a standalone spinoff that will likely only reference its parent show. That said, it’s always possible for Jennifer Pierce (aka, Lightning) to make an appearance at some point.
Painkiller Spinoff Cast Revealed
In addition to Jordan Calloway reprising his role as Khalil/Painkiller, he’ll be joined by three new additions: Sibongile Mlambo, Alexander Hodge, and James Roch. Mlambo will play Maya, who is described as a mysterious and distant leader. Hodge will portray Philky, who hails from Gotham City and has a dark past. Finally, Roch will play Cousin Donald, a medic and former Marine who will understand where Khalil is coming from.
Painkiller Release Date
The Black Lightning spinoff is only set for a backdoor pilot at the moment, which air on Monday, April 12 at 9:00 p.m. ET. If things go well, The CW could pick it up for a series order. If that happens, the Painkiller show might be a part of the 2021-2022 lineup on the network, perhaps even taking the place of Black Lightning’s 9pm ET slot on Mondays. For now, fans can enjoy what the Painkiller backdoor pilot has to offer when it airs and hope that it has a bright future in store.
Painkiller Episode Trailer
The backdoor pilot, aptly titled "Painkiller" officially has a trailer. It's more of a short promo, but it showcases Khalil and Painkiller's differing personas and how the latter has seemingly "escaped" the mental prison he was placed in near the end of Black Lightning season 3. What's more, it seems Painkiller is very intent on killing the Pierce family, going after Anissa and her wife Grace while they're at a club. Painkiller and Khalil have a very push-pull relationship, with the former egging Khalil on (probably until he snaps and gives in). It's unclear whether Khalil will forever have to deal with the Painkiller side of him, but it'll be interesting to see how the backdoor pilot handles the two personalities now that they're somewhat separate. Watch the promo trailer above!