'Black Lightning' Star Laura Kariuki Joins the Cast of 'The Wonder Years' Reboot

Another iconic television show is getting a reboot. The Wonder Years will be receiving a pilot treatment from ABC, and Black Lightning actress Laura Kariuki is set to star on the show. The pilot of the revival hails from writer and producer Saladin Patterson and is directed by none other than Fred Savage, who played the original star character, Kevin Arnold. 

Saladin and Fred will also serve as executive producers along with Empire co-creators Lee Daniels and Marc Velez of Lee Daniels Entertainment. Neal Marlens, the creator of The Wonder Years, which ran from 1988 to 1993, will operate as a consultant for the reboot.

The new series will take place in the '60s like its predecessor, but instead of centering on Kevin Arnold and his family, it will focus on the Williams, a middle-income Black family living in Montgomery, Ala. Keep reading to find out everything we know about The Wonder Years reboot.

The upcoming series will star The West Wing alum Dulé Hill as the patriarch Bill Williams. He's a music professor by day and a funk musician by night, and playing his wife Lillian in the reboot is Saycon Sengbloh. The Tony Award-nominated actress has been cast to play the role of singer Aretha Franklin's elder sister Erma in the forthcoming film Respect. Rounding out the rest of the family is child actor Elisha Williams. 

Elisha recently lent his voice to the Disney Junior animated series Puppy Dog Pals and will take over as main character Dean, a curious and hopeful 12-year-old who’s trying to figure out his place within his family and the world. Laura will play Dean's confident, smart, and popular big sister Kim. For Laura, this will be her second stint on television. 

Kim will be introduced on the reboot as having a good relationship with her younger brother but will start to rebel against the college plans that her parents have for her. Also joining the cast of The Wonder Years reboot are child actors Amari O'Neil, Milan Ray, and Julian Lerner. Just like the original series, Dean will also have a crush. Milan portrays Keisa Clemmons, Dean's love interest. Don Cheadle will serve as the narrator, as an adult Dean who reflects on his childhood.

In April of 2021, Danica McKellar, who played Winnie Cooper on The Wonder Years, took to her Instagram to shout out Milan and posted a photo of her young self side-by-side with the star. "A HUGE congrats to Milan Ray who plays the young love interest in the new Wonder Years reboot that started shooting this week! Milan, you are already far more seasoned an actress than I was when I joined the cast of The Wonder Years many moons ago ... you're gonna knock it out of the park! Go get 'em, girl!"

The Wonder Years release date has not yet been announced, but we know that the series is expected to debut in the 2021 to 2022 television season on ABC, the original show’s home. A trailer has not been revealed either, but we’re hoping that it will be soon since production did start in April. Also, Saladin Patterson posted to Instagram recently showing a photo of Fred Savage looking at multiple screens that featured footage from the reboot. 

We can’t wait until the trailer drops and a release date for the pilot is set!