‘DC’s Stargirl’ Season 2 Casts Alkoya Brunson as Jakeem Thunder [Exclusive]

We already knew that the Thunderbolt — one of the most powerful characters in DC Comics — would be coming to DC’s Stargirl in Season 2, voiced by comedian Jim Gaffigan. And now we know who may be teaming up with the pen-trapped genie when the show returns to The CW: Alkoya Brunson has been cast in the recurring role of Jakeem Thunder on the superhero drama, Decider has exclusively learned.

In Season 1 of the hit series, Stargirl, a.k.a. Courtney Whitmore (Brec Bassinger) gathered together a team of teen heroes in the small town of Blue Valley in order to fight the evil Injustice Society, and uphold the legacy of the Justice Society of America — who were killed by the ISA a decade earlier. Those heroes are Dr. Mid-Nite (Anjelika Washington), Wildcat (Yvette Monreal), and Hourman (Cameron Gellman); but left a few other members of the JSA on hold until the show’s sophomore season.

Those members include the Thunderbolt, a powerful, tricky, and extremely literal genie who is trapped in a pink pen last seen hanging out in a cup on Courtney’s desk (in the comics, the genie can only exist in liquid; in this case a pen instead of a lamp). Despite warnings from Courtney’s step-dad Pat Dugan (Luke Wilson), the Thunderbolt is still in its precarious position as of Season 2, which may be how Jakeem figures into things. Previously mentioned by Courtney’s younger step-brother Mike Dugan (Trae Romano) but never seen on screen, Jakeem will be played by Alkoya Brunson — a kid who is destined (in the comics at least) to become the youngest member of the Justice Society of America.

The almost 18-year-old Brunson is no stranger to TV, or The CW. One of his earliest roles was on a trio of Season 4 episodes of The Originals as Adam Folsom, one of the kids taken by villains The Hollow. However, fans might know him better as the younger version of Jaleel White’s Darryl on CBS’ short-lived My, Myself and I, or as Eric Mitchell on Netflix’s teen Baywatch style comedy, Malibu Rescue.

In the comics, Jakeem first appeared in The Flash #134, and was created by Grant Morrison, Mark Millar and Paul Ryan. Originally called J.J. Thunder, Jakeem is a legacy character like the other members of the JSA, having picked up the Thunderbolt after its original owner Johnny Thunder lost control of the power of the genie. Unlike Johnny, who had to say a special code to release the Thunderbolt, Jakeem was able to harness the power by clicking the pen and uttering the phrase “so cool.” But from there, like most monkey’s paw situations, he’d also need to be extremely specific about what he was asking for. Think Amelia Bedelia, but a genie, and you get the idea.

He later joined the JSA, and formed a strong bond with Stargirl as a friend and a mentor. All of the latter was during DC’s Stargirl showrunner Geoff Johns’ run on the title — so if you’re looking for any clues as to what Jakeem might be up to in Season 2, Johns’ lengthy run on JSA is a good place to start.

Jakeem Thunder will be introduced in DC’s Stargirl Season 2, when the series returns in 2021.

Where to watch DC's Stargirl