New Thriller ‘Underground’ to Debut at New York Comic-Con

Superheroes are inherently champions for social justice. Those two words are unfortunately diluted and just by mentioning them hear I fear I may have lost half our audience. But if you are repulsed by those words then you are repulsed by equality, and I’m not sure if we can see eye to eye there.

At this year’s New York Comic-Con, WGN America are debuting Underground, a new thriller I’m so excited about. Set in the American south before the Jim Crow era, slavery is practiced as simply a way of life. Restless slave Noah organizes a small team to plan an escape from the Macon plantation that imprisons them, sparking the legendary exodus of American slaves to the free north. Not that life would get any better for them in yankee territory, but just for the chance to live and breathe as free people is a fight worth taking. The series, I’m told, has just wrapped production on its first season in Baton Rouge.

Creators Misha Green and Joe Pokaski have a heavy genre lineage, coming from Sons of Anarchy, Marvel’s Daredevil, and Heroes. Joining them is Oscar-winner Akiva Goldsmith executive producing, the series is primed for a 2016 premiere on WGN America. Check out the robust cast:

Aldis Hodge ( Straight Outta Compton, Turn) as Noah, a restless slave on the Macon plantation who plans an escape.

Jurnee Smollett-Bell (Friday Night Lights, True Blood) as Rosalee, a shy house slave.

Christopher Meloni (Law & Order: SVU) as August Pullman, a secretive man who walks a tightrope between morality and survival.

Alano Miller (Jane the Virgin) as Cato, a cunning and charismatic man despised and feared by his fellow slaves.

Jessica de Gouw (Arrow) as Elizabeth Hawkes, a socialite who shares abolitionist ideals with her husband, John (Marc Blucas, Blue Bloods), a lawyer whose principles clash with the legislation he’s sworn to uphold.

Adina Porter (The 100, The Newsroom) as Pearly Mae, a wife and mother and Mykelti Williamson (Justified) as her husband and preacher Moses.

Amirah Vann (Girls) as Ernestine, head house slave and devoted mother.

Johnny Ray Gill (Rectify) as Sam, Rosalee’s half-brother and a talented carpenter.

Chris Chalk (The Newsroom, Homeland, Gotham) as William Still, an abolitionist.

Reed Diamond (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) as Tom Macon, a plantation owner and political candidate.

Jussie Smollett (Empire), the IRL brother of Smollett-Bell in the cast as Josey, a wild-eyed runaway who doesn’t trust anyone.

Underground will be screened in Room 1A06 at 2:45pm and will be followed by a Q&A panel on Sunday of New York Comic-Con.