On Friday, April 17th the CW will premiere the highly anticipated show The Messengers. The sci-fi thriller stars Jon Fletcher who plays the pastor Joshua Jr. His character’s belief system is completely challenged as he discovers the truth about betrayal and the truth about the people closest to him. “It was tough to play someone who lived their life one way and to learn it was a lie. It was very heavy and he becomes a lot darker once he learns the truth of his life,” said Fletcher.

The series is centered on a mysterious object that falls to Earth in a blinding flash. The activity sends out a shockwave that knocks scientist Vera Ivanov unconscious. When she awakes, she finds herself somehow connected to four strangers who collapsed at the same time: Erin, a young woman trying to protect her daughter from an abusive ex-husband; Peter, a troubled high-school student; Raul, a federal agent trying to evade an undercover assignment; and Joshua Jr., a second-generation televangelist. And all of them awake with unexplained powers.

Fletcher’s character has the gift of prophetic vision. “Each gift comes with a consequence. There isn’t a super power that has no ramifications,” said Fletcher. The random visions are put together, like a jigsaw puzzle, and help to bring everything to the fore front. “There’s a lot of sci-fi and end of the world shows but Fletcher believes that The Messengers keeps everything grounded and the reality is very relatable regardless of what your belief system may be. The series if based on the Book of Revelations – forcing everyone to have faith in each other and ultimately faith in humanity. The five main characters are all looking at scenarios in a different point of view and in order to make sense of everything happening, they must listen to each other and work together as a community.

Fletcher does a wonderful job portraying the character of a preacher. He researched faith leaders like Joel Osteen and Billy Graham, so that he could embody the modern day preachers that are relevant in the world today. By taking little nuances here and there, he was able to cultivate, his character, Joshua into a great part of The Messengers.

Be sure to check out the new faith series, premiering April 17 at 9:00 p.m. ET on the CW.