Ava DuVernay, Arrow EP developing a series about DC's Naomi at the CW

ARRAY; DC Comics

Ava DuVernay is diving even deeper into the world of DC Comics.

EW has learned that the Emmy-winner is joining forces with former Arrow executive producer Jill Blankenship and the CW to develop a script for Naomi, a prospective series featuring the DC Comics character of the same name. If the show is actually greenlit, it will be DuVernay's third DC project in addition to the recently ordered DMZ at HBO Max and her forthcoming New Gods movie, which she's directing and co-writing.

The show Naomi will follow its titular teenage heroine as she journeys "from her small northwestern town to the heights of the multiverse," according to the show's logline. "When a supernatural event shakes her hometown to the core, Naomi sets out to uncover its origins, and what she discovers will challenge everything we believe about our heroes."

Naomi, a Black protagonist, is a relatively new addition to the DC universe. She made her comics debut in 2019's Naomi: Season One, co-written by Brian Michael Bendis — who co-created the Miles Morales Spider-Man for Marvel — David F. Walker, and illustrated by Jamal Campbell. In the comic, Naomi's story begins when a fight between Superman and Mongul crashes into her hometown and accidentally reveals a new mystery surrounding Naomi's origins and adoption. As of right now, it's unclear how closely the show will stick to the comics.

With Supergirl and Black Lightning ending in 2021 and the newly announced development of Naomi, it seems as though the CW is betting on younger, newer characters as it starts to figure out the future of its superhero line-up. The network is also working on a Wonder Girl series and a Black Lightning spin-off centered on Jordan Calloway's Painkiller.

Naomi will be produced by ARRAY Filmworks (Sarah Bremner and Paul Garnes) in association Warner Bros TV.

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• Black Lightning sets Painkiller-centric backdoor pilot for season 4