Power prequel casts young version of 50 Cent’s character Kanan

This Starz spin-off is one of four and will focus solely on the earlier years of 50 Cent’s (real name Curtis Jackson) character Kanan Stark, with Mekai Curtis taking on the role.

Mekai’s character Kanan is described as ‘smart, driven and still naive’ and his world revolves around his mother, who raised him by herself.

The synopsis for the prequel continues: ‘She is his everything. At the same time, he’s beginning to get a sense of not only the world around him, but his place in said world.

‘Kanan wants to be just like his mother — and that’s the problem. He’s young and wide-eyed and doesn’t know how the hustle works.

‘And even more important, his mother is not nearly as keen as he is for him to follow in her footsteps.

‘Theirs is a complicated relationship that only gets more problematic as time goes on.’

Addressing his casting news, Mekai wrote on Instagram: ‘Humbled. Hungry. Blessed. Let’s get it.’

Besides Power Book III: Raising Kanan, there will be three other spin-offs titled Power Book II: Ghost, Power Book IV: Influence and Power Book V: Force.

Influence will focus on Rashad Tate. Meanwhile, Force will centre around Tommy Egan’s journey after he turns his back on New York.

President and CEO of Starz, Jeffrey Hirsch, said: ‘In television history, only a select few shows have inspired four consecutive series extensions, launched into active production and development at the same time.’

He added: ‘These new and exciting chapters will continue the journey of some of Power’s most controversial characters while featuring a growing ensemble of complex, distinct characters along with the high-octane drama that set Power in a class of its own.’

Power is available to stream on Starz and Netflix.