Black Lightning Loses Original Cast Member Ahead of Season 4

Black Lightning is saying goodbye to an original star ahead of its fourth season.

Damon Gupton, who has played Inspector Bill Henderson on the CW drama since it debuted in 2018, announced on Twitter that his time on the series had come to a close.

“And that’s a wrap. My final night on the set of @blacklightning,” he wrote, alongside a picture of his chair on-set.

“In December before X-mas I was told Chief Henderson is not in the plans for Season 4 and that I would be let go."

"My heart to a helluva hard working crew. Big praise to cast, writers, producers, staff, CW, WB.”

Gupton also gave a “special shoutout to all the great fans who greet me in the street, airports, restaurants. Your appreciation means the world to me. Know that I treasure it. Disappointed I’m not allowed to continue the ride with you but glad we had the time we did.”

And that’s a wrap. My final night on the set of @blacklightning. In December before X-mas I was told Chief Henderson is not in the plans for season 4 and that I would be let go. My❤️to a helluva hard working crew. Big 🙏to cast, writers, producers, staff, CW, WB #BlackLightning pic.twitter.com/i9L53QcVjg
— Damon Gupton (@DamonGupton) January 19, 2020

If you watch Black Lightning online, you're probably not all that surprised by this development.

Henderson's role on the show has slowly diminished as the narrative has changed course, meaning that he has not been a part of some of the big storylines of late.

It seems like this decision to for the star to exit is because his storyline has reached a natural conclusion.

Whether the door will be left open for a return down the line, we don't know, but it's hard to imagine Henderson willingly leaving Freeland behind for anything more than a short time.

Gupton has also appeared on Bates Motel, Criminal Minds, The Player, and Goliath.

It's unclear when Gupton's final episode will air, but we do know that the series will return for the final batch of Black Lightning Season 3 episodes tonight at 9/8c on The CW.

It will be the show's first post-Crisis On Infinite Earths installment, so it is likely there will be some changes on the horizon.

“Jefferson navigates his new reality following the events of the Crisis, and Lynn’s determination to save the meta kids deepens her troubles," according to the official synopsis.

"Meanwhile, Anissa/Blackbird faces new challenges, while Jennifer’s bond with Brandon begins to grow.”

The CW renewed Black Lightning, along with 12 other shows earlier this month.

With so many shows on deck, as well as new additions to the network, it's unclear whether Black Lightning will return in the fall or at midseason.