Meet The Philly Native Casted as Lead in Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reboot

A Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reboot is on the way, and we finally know who is going to be Will Smith's successor.

It was just announced that the lead role will be played by Philadelphia native, Jabari Banks.

Ironically the storyline of Fresh Prince is set in West Philadelphia, and Banks himself was born and raised in West Philly! According to Just Jared, Banks graduated just last year from University of the Arts in Philly. Now he is about to embark on the journey of a lifetime and have the honor of playing Will in the reboot that will premiere on Peacock.

The cool thing is, the series is set to be filmed right here in Philadelphia so we might get to see Jabari and the rest of the cast out and about in West Philly.

Will Smith surprised Banks with a zoom call to tell him the news. Banks was overjoyed and stunned as Smith told him he had officially been casted as the new Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

The reboot is going to have a different take on the popular comedy. Instead the plot is going to be a drama that follows "Will’s complicated journey from the streets of West Philadelphia to the gated mansions of Bel-Air,” reads the show’s official logline, according to TV Line. “With a reimagined vision, Bel-Air will dive deeper into the inherent conflicts, emotions and biases that were impossible to fully explore in a 30-minute sitcom format, while still delivering swagger and nods to the original show.”

I'm excited for this reboot and I think its so fitting that the lead character is from Philadelphia. There is no one who can play the part and do it just like a true Philly native. Congrats to Jabari Banks! You're city is rooting for you!