CW Series Based On DC Comics' Naomi Is In Development
Ava DuVernay is about to enter the realm of The CW at a critical moment. The DC TV series that have dominated the network's landscape for the last decade are in the throes of a seismic shift, with the Greg Berlanti-led Arrowverse in a major transition. Arrow is over, and both Black Lightning and the Melissa Benoist-starring Supergirl are ending next year.
While The Flash, Batwoman, and Legends of Tomorrow are all still going, there's a lot more room for a new cast of heroes — and we appear to be getting them. Superman & Lois is confirmed, with series based on Wonder Girl and Black Lightning's Painkiller also in development.
However, not everything in The CW's DC franchise is part of a shared universe. Stargirl, for instance, may be a Berlanti production, but its story does not connect with any of the Arrowverse shows. And it appears as though Stargirl may be a bellwether for things to come.
Ava DuVernay, who's already been working with DC on the forthcoming New Gods film, will be teaming up with The CW and Arrow producer Jill Blankenship on the TV side of things as well. According to The Hollywood Reporter, DuVernay and Blankenship are set to produce an adaptation of the Brian Michael Bendis comic series Naomi. Let's talk about who Naomi is and what she might mean for the future of The CW.
Who is Naomi in DC Comics?
Naomi is a refugee from a war-torn parallel Earth. On the Earth where Naomi was born, cosmic radiation transformed 29 humans into superpowered individuals. War erupts when some of them try to use their powers to take over the world.
Only one of the 29 retains her ability to procreate. She gives birth to Naomi, which enrages the superpowered Zumbado. Because Zumbado wants to be the most powerful being on Earth, he sets out to kill Naomi and her mother. Naomi's mother enlists the help of a woman named Akira, who carries Naomi across the multiverse to save her from Zumbado.
Naomi doesn't know anything of her tragic past at first. Her powers do eventually awaken, giving her a similar power set to Superman and Supergirl — super strength, durability, and flight. Unlike Kryptonians, though, Naomi's whole body undergoes a transformation whenever she uses her powers.
It's certainly easy to see how Naomi's story could be adapted to television in a way that combines some stories we've seen on both Supergirl and Stargirl in the last few years. However, as of now at least, Ava DuVernay and Jill Blankenship seem to be setting off on their own, away from the familiar DC landscape we've seen on The CW over the years.
Whether Naomi will eventually connect with any Berlanti shows is unknown. However, it's clear between Naomi, Javicia Leslie's Ryan Wilder becoming the new Batwoman, and a Black Lightning spin-off featuring Painkiller, that The CW's DC Universe is set to feature more Black-led shows than it ever has before.