Let’s Make a Dealhost Wayne Brady has signed on for a new acting gig on The CW, set to appear on the series Black Lightning in early 2020 as Gravedigger. Based on the DC comic book character of the same name, the series stars Cress Williams as the titular hero alongside China Anne McClain, Nafessa Williams, Christine Adams, Marvin Jones III, Damon Gupton, James Remar, and Jordan Calloway. Primarily, the shows the life of the vigilante after he steps out of retirement to resume his work as a superhero. The addition of Brady to the series comes just days after the premiere of the third season ofBlack Lightningon the network.
On the series,Wayne Bradywill play the role of Tyson “Gravedigger” Sykes.Black Lightningproducers describe him as a World War II-era member of the U.S. military who was transformed into a superhuman fighting machine through secret laboratory experiments. Following the war, Gravedigger headed to Markovia, taking his enhanced talents with him. Hoping to create a sovereign land for metahumans, Gravedigger embarks on a collision course with the ASA and Black Lightning which should make for some entertaining television. Two separate versions of the Gravedigger character have previously appeared in DC comics, with the Tyson Sykes incarnation first showing up in 2008’sCheckmateVol. 2 #25.
This will be quite the transition for Brady, who’s probably best known to mainstream audiences as the host of the popular game showLet’s Make a Deal. The entertainer has now been hosting the series for ten years, having previously also hostedThe Wayne Brady ShowandDon’t Forget the Lyrics!. Of course, those who remember Brady from the ’90s will recall his improvisational comedy from the hit sketch showWhose Line Is It Anyway?, performing alongside alongside comedians like Ryan Stiles and Colin Mochrie. Brady was particularly known for his creative song parodies, exhibiting the extraordinary ability to think up entire verses on virtually any topic with no preparation.
Additionally, Brady has shown off some of his acting chops by appearing on many scripted shows as well, such asHow I Met Your Mother,ColonyandThe Bold and The Beautiful. Those who’ve seen his legendaryTraining Dayparody onChappelle’s Showwill never be able to forget it as well. The memorable sketch featured Brady taking on the role played by Denzel Washington in the actual movie, showing American audiences a darker side of the comedy actor for the very first time. Notably, Brady has also done plenty of work with live theater, performing in renditions ofHamilton,Chicago, andKinky Boots.
It’s definitely going to be interesting seeing Brady take on the role of Gravedigger. As he’s set to join the series early next year, it appears he will be a part of the show’s currently-airing third season. Until his appearance, you can watch new episodes ofBlack Lightningwhen it airs Monday nights on The CW. News of Brady’s casting comes to us courtesy of a press release fromThe CW.
