Marlon Wayans Presents: The Headliners Stand-Up Special Premieres April 21 on HBO Max

Marlon Wayans is looking to launch the next big names in comedy with a new stand-up special at HBO Max. Per a press release provided to The Root, Marlon Wayans Presents: The Headliners premieres Thursday, April 21 on HBO Max and features “actor D.C. Ervin, social media star Tony Baker, niece and stand-up comic Chaunté Wayans, writer Sydney Castillo, and noted ‘closer’ Esau McGraw.”

The hour-long special was filmed live at the Belasco Theatre in Los Angeles and directed by Troy Miller. After 2021’s Marlon Wayans: You Know What It Is, this is the Respect actor’s second HBO Max comedy special.

In the trailer for the special, Wayans introduces the five performers saying, “They’ve toured with me all over the world…my favorite comedians. And so tonight, we’re creating opportunities. They’re the headliners.” The funny video features jokes on everything from the chaos of shopping at Ross to the plot of Django Unchained.

Ervin can be seen opposite Wayans in 2016’s Fifty Shades of Black and on the NBC competition series Last Comic Standing. Baker is no stranger to HBO, having previously appeared on A Black Lady Sketch Show. Chaunté Wayans has worked on many of her famous relatives’ movies, as well as the RuPaul Netflix series AJ and the Queen. Castillo has written for CBS’ The Neighborhood and Wild ‘N Out. McGraw has performed on BET’s Comicview and appeared on Real Husbands of Hollywood.

SPOILER ALERT! 

Wayans is fresh off of his critically acclaimed role as Will’s long-lost father Lou on Peacock’s Bel-Air. After years of wondering about who his father was, Will found out the truth when Lou showed up and revealed he was in prison, and didn’t want his son to see him that way, so he made Vy and Phil promise not to bring him for visits. It was an emotional moment viewers weren’t expecting from The Wayans Brothers star. Producers have been cagey on whether Lou will be back in Season 2, but we can’t imagine the story between Will and his father is anywhere near finished.

In the meantime, Marlon Wayans Presents: The Headliners debuts Thursday, April 21 on HBO Max.