Jabari Banks

“People don’t play with their nostalgia.”

REBOOTS ARE COMMONPLACE THESE DAYS, BUT A REBOOT OF A SITCOM INTO A drama? That’s rare. Newcomer Jabari Banks has the difficult task of stepping into the role of Will on Peacock’s based on the iconic ’90s Will Smith sitcom “There’s no way that I could be the Will version of Will. That was lightning in a bottle.” But Banks, who says Smith has been “a great mentor for me throughout this whole process,” says the themes of the original series are well-suited to a dramatic retelling. “There are universal themes. It’s about family, a fish-out-of-water story. That’s so recognizable.” But the new series does allow for the characters to grow. “A big theme we’re touching on is what does it mean when you’re successful and Black? Does that mean that you lose your Blackness? I think as a family, they’re undeniably Black. So to see that perspective is going to be a big moment for the community.” While Banks admits people were at first “skeptical” about the reboot, he says he gets why. “I think that’s natural with something like this. People don’t play with their nostalgia.”