Amazon Studios has announced that Malachi Kirby will play the leading roles of Charles Nancy and Spider in the upcoming Anansi Boys series from Neil Gaiman.

Kirby joins Delroy Lindo, who will play Mr. Nancy/Anansi.

Here’s the description of the series: Based on Gaiman’s novel of the same name, Anansi Boys follows Charlie Nancy, a young man who is used to being embarrassed by his estranged father. But when his father dies, Charlie discovers that his father was Anansi: trickster god of stories. And he learns that he has a brother. Now his brother, Spider, is entering Charlie’s life, determined to make it more interesting but making it a lot more dangerous. 

And here’s the official description of Kirby’s characters:

Charles Nancy, sometimes known as Fat Charlie (it was his father’s nickname for him – he’s not fat), is awkward, stressed, engaged to be married, and working at a job he hates for a man he hates. He is as normal as it is possible to be – at least until he learns that his father was a god, and that he has a magical brother he does not know about. Spider is that brother. Cocky, self-assured, magical, superpowered, utterly amoral, and perhaps a bit of a monster.

In a statement about the casting received by Shadow and Act, Gaiman said: “Malachi Kirby is an actor of astonishing sensitivity, charm, and power. We needed somebody who could bring us the humanity of Charlie and the godly dangerousness of Spider; who could play two very different characters and who could in many ways carry the show. We found Malachi, and I am so thrilled that we did. He’s astonishing.”

Orlando Jones played Mr. Nancy / Anansi in American Gods, but Amazon states that this upcoming series is “a stand-alone story, not a sequel or spin-off of Gaiman’s novel American Gods.“

Gaiman, Sir Lenny Henry, Douglas Mackinnon, Hanelle M. Culpepper, Hilary Bevan Jones (Endor Productions) and Richard Fee (Red Production Company) are executive producers. Gaiman and Henry will also write for the series along with Arvind Ethan David, Kara Smith, and Racheal Ofori. Gaiman and Mackinnon will serve as co-showrunners. Culpepper will direct the pilot. Jermain Julien and Azhur Saleem are also directing for the series. Paul Frift is also a producer.

Anansi Boys is produced by Amazon Studios, The Blank Corporation, Endor Productions, and RED Production Company. The series is under Gaiman’s overall deal with Amazon Studios.