Stargirl Season 2 Might Introduce Jakeem Thunder

During a charming DC Fandome panel that reunited the cast of the delightful CW show–Brec Bassinger (Stargirl), Yvette Monreal (Wildcat), Cameron Gellman (Hourman), Anjelika Washington (Doctor Mid-Nite), and Amy Smart (Barbara Whitmore) along with creator Geoff Johns and Hollywood icon/Stargirl director Lea Thompson–Bassinger hinted that we might see a fan-fave Grant Morrison JLA character, Jakeem Thunder, when Stargirl season 2 arrives next year. 

The first season of Stargirl centered on Courtney Whitmore taking on the mantle that she thought belonged to her father while building a new Justice Society of America team. While we saw new iterations of Doctor Mid-Nite, Wildcat, and Hourman, there were a couple of team members who were only hinted at through their accessories. Alan Scott’s Green Lantern was seen in the old JSA headquarters along with Johnny Thunder’s pink pen. For a while it seemed like Icicle’s son, Cameron Mahkent, might take on the mantle as he was an artist who used his art and creativity for good. But according to Brec it looks like Jakeem will be picking up the pen. 

“I need some closure on that pink pen! Bring on Jakeem!” Bassinger enthused when Thompson asked what each of the cast wanted from season two. Though Johns was tight lipped, he did state that they would be exploring the tool made famous by Johnny Thunder. So who is Jakeem Thunder? And how does he connect to the world of Stargirl? 

The legacy hero first appeared in Grant Morrison, Mark Millar, and Paul Ryan’s Flash (vol. 2) #134 and was given Johnny Thunder’s pen by his Keystone City neighbor Jay Garrick. If you’re not familiar with the pen, it holds the genie which gives Johnny Thunder and now Jakeem their powers. Like any good genie, Thunderbolt, the one that resides in the pen grants wishes, enabling its master to take on pretty much any power or desire. Though Jakeem–originally called J.J.–began his life in The Flash, he went on to be part of the ’99 JLA/JSA crossover which is where he fought alongside his future team. 

This shouldn’t be too surprising as the character was teased in the Stargirl episode “Wildcat” when Mike asks if he can invite his friend Jakeem over. That would hint that Jakeem might be a younger hero compared to his high school counterparts, or perhaps he’s a little older than his friend and they connected over their shared love of science. There’s a lot of exciting stuff to explore, especially as Jakeem has transcended dimensions during his time as a hero so his introduction could be a way for Stargirl to explore the wider DC universe. 

Stargirl has excelled at introducing exciting and inclusive legacy characters to the small screen and Jakeem would be a great addition. He also has history with the crew as he teams up with Stargirl, saves her life, and builds a brotherhood with Hourman. Stargirl‘s biggest strength is its stunning and sweet young cast who bring an authenticity and heart to the show that makes it sing. Adding an up and coming young Black actor to the cast makes a lot of sense, and the team will definitely need some help facing down Eclipso, who’ll be helping Cindy Burman next season. 

Now that we know Stargirl will be returning for season two we can expect more exciting JSA characters headed to the screen, but we’re more interested in whether our favorite ship: HourNite–Hourman and Doctor Mid-Nite–will come to fruition. The cast is clearly excited for some romance in the next season and we would love to see that one come true.