With the popularity of Marvel’s Black Panther and acclaim of The CW’s DC superhero series, Black Lightning, now would a perfect time to get a live-action retelling of Static Shock, the WB animated series that ran from 2000 to 2004. David Kirkman, a St. Louis filmmaker, has a live action short film based on the famed DC comic aimed to cure our nostalgia. The brass behind Black Lightning have expressed interest in bringing other characters in the fold in a so-called “Lightning-verse” so what if Static became the next series? Kirkman already has the prototype!
Set in Dakota City, Static revolves around Virgil Hawkins (played in the short film by Malik Shakoor), a Black teenager gifted with the power to manipulate electricity. Aside from dealing with his newly-acquired powers and bullies at school, his life is further complicated when his father runs for mayor. However, he is offered support by his best friend Richie (Gabriel Beckerle) and the kind words of his teacher, Mrs. Jackson (Gina Cheatham), who reminds her students that they were born from the blood of kings and queens.
The trailer, which was written and directed Kirkman, has accrued over 100K views on YouTube since its premiere in May. Kirkman has since gone on to release several exclusive clips and an extended look at his upcoming short film. Static was crowned by the Best Short Film Winner of the Gentleman Jack: Real To Reel Film Competition this year. The visual effects are the work of VFX supervisor Ben Christensen, with cinematography work done by Michael Parks.
Billed as “a political crime drama that happens to involve a superhero,” Kirkman’s interpretation of the famed DC comic book hero would fit perfectly on the CW’s lineup of live action superhero dramas. A live action version of Static Shock with elements of a political crime drama and a coming-of-age narrative is not only an excellent spin on the superhero genre, but would satisfy fans of the WB animated series who are nostalgic for a retelling of Virgil Hawkins.
Check out the trailer and clips for Static below:
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