[6] In the series, Jefferson, is the principal of the Garfield High School, and a retired vigilante, who lives in Freeland.

During the first season he has to return to his superhero life, and help his daughter, Anissa handle her powers, while also stopping his nemesis, Tobias Whale.

Williams has appeared as Jefferson Pierce and his vigilante persona in two crossovers of the Arrowverse, the Crisis on Infinite Earths[8] and Armageddon.

He has retired from superhero life years ago, and is divorced with Lynn Stewart, and also has two daughters, Anissa and Jennifer.

After some consideration, and some conversations with his friend Peter Gambi, he decides to talk up the mental of Black Lightning again, acting as a superhero during the night and principal and parent during the day.

Following a fight with Anissa, who has superpowers like her father and is acting as a vigilante, he injures her and calls Gambi to take care of her, and she learns that Jefferson is the Black Lightning.

After Oliver Queen / Spectre sacrifices himself to restart the Multiverse and merge other Earths including Jefferson's, he saves Frost and Mick Rory from a shadow demon.

Afterwards, he joins Kara Danvers / Supergirl, Sara Lance / White Canary, Clark Kent / Superman, J'onn J'onzz / Martian Manhunter, Barry Allen / The Flash and Kate Kane / Batwoman to form the Justice League.

Cress Williams has portrayed Black Lightning in three out of seven Arrowverse TV series, with these being: Akil described Jefferson and his family as "the Obamas of the superhero world" and compared the duality of Jefferson Pierce and his alter ego Black Lightning to the duality of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.

[12] Williams said that "it was a dream come true" when he was cast as Black Lightning[13] and it was hard, at first, portraying him, but loved it in the process.

[15] On February 24, 2017, Cress Williams was announced in the lead role of Jefferson Pierce / Black Lightning.

[18] The Atlantic's Pilot Viruet wrote, "There's an authenticity to the series—it's neither too pulpy nor too preachy—that's heightened by the strong performances from its predominantly Black cast, particularly from [Cress] Williams, who anchors the show's many conflicts.