'Black Lightning' Casts Singer Jill Scott as DC Comics Villain Lady Eve

DC Comics and The CW's Black Lightning TV series has just added Grammy-winning singer Jill Scott to its cast!

EW reports that Scott will be playing Lady Eve, a DC Comics villain who will be adapted for the TV series as funeral parlor owner who is secretly "the bridge between Tobias Whale (played by L.A. rapper Marvin "Krondon" Jones III) and a secret group of corrupt leaders."

Black Lightning showrunner Salim Akil addressed the big casting news, saying, "Jill is an amazing artist who can embody any character and give them an authentic voice that is both nuanced and richly complex. I am excited to see her in the role of Lady Eve."

In the comics, Lady Eve is a ranking member of the evil Kobra Cult, whose leader tried to manipulate high-ranking officials through mind control, in order to steal a secret defense program to blackmail the government. It's not clear if Scott's version will retain the comic book connection to Kobra, but it wouldn't be surprising if the clandestine cult weren't manipulating crimelord Tobias Whale for their own ends, with Lady Eve as their agent.

Scott has been taking on acting roles since the early 2000s, having starred in HBO's The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, the Steel Magnolias TV movie remake, and the acclaimed James Brown biopic Get On Up. She's also had superhero role experience, having voiced X-Men's Storm in the Marvel's Black Panther animated series.

Black Lightning permieres on The CW in 2018.