Nearly 30 years after “Martin” captivated audiences, Martin Lawrence is stepping back into one of his most recognizable roles.

Lawrence will reprise Martin Payne in “The Varnell Hill Show,” a workplace comedy built around Tommy Davidson’s flamboyant late-night television host Varnell Hill.

The series expands the show’s universe with a new comedy centered on one of its most memorable recurring characters.

Martin Lawrence reprises his role as Martin Payne on the spinoff, “The Varnell Hill Show,” starring Tommy Davidson. (Photos by John Parra/Getty Images; Jim Spellman/Getty Images)

Lawrence is not a regular cast member. But he will appear throughout the season while also serving as an executive producer.

Newly released images reunite Martin Lawrence and Carl Anthony Payne II in character for the first time in years. The preview teases the Paramount+ spinoff ahead of its Sept. 1 premiere.

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The new series shifts the spotlight from Martin Payne to Tommy Davidson’s Varnell Hill. It follows Hill as he tries to stay relevant in an entertainment industry far different from what viewers first saw on “Martin.”

According to the official synopsis, the comedy takes audiences behind the scenes of Hill’s fictional late-night program, where he must juggle demanding executives, creative disagreements, celebrity guests and his own oversized ego while trying to keep the show afloat.

The series blends workplace comedy with satire, cutaway gags and fourth-wall breaks.

The announcement has drawn online media attention and excitement about the upcoming show. 

One user wrote, “Oh issa star studded event I see!! Do yo thing writers!!”

Another agreed, “Man this is wild…I’m so excited for this.”

Davidson confirmed production wrapped earlier this year and called reuniting with Lawrence an emotional experience.

“It’s real, we shot it,” Davidson said during an interview with Rap Attack Official. “We shot eight of them… We’ve seen the editing, and it’s beautiful.”

He also revealed the project reunited the longtime collaborators after more than a decade apart.

“We reunited after about 14 years,” Davidson said, adding they hadn’t seen or worked together since “Martin” was on air.

Recalling the first table read, Davidson admitted the moment nearly overwhelmed him.

“Let me tell you something man, when I got to that table read, I froze. I froze. It was like, it was too much.”

Several familiar faces from the original sitcom will also return. Kym Whitley, Wendy Raquel Robinson and Chris Williams are back for the spinoff, joined by newcomers Emmanuel Hudson and Nick Cafero.

Guest appearances from comedians and entertainers are also expected throughout the season. Lawrence, while not featured in every episode, is scheduled to make multiple appearances as Martin Payne.

Originally airing on Fox from 1992 to 1997, “Martin” followed Payne’s journey from Detroit radio personality to local television host while becoming one of the most influential Black sitcoms of the decade.

The series helped launch countless catchphrases into pop culture, including “Damn, Gina,” “You go, girl,” and “Talk to the hand,” while Lawrence’s unforgettable characters, such as Sheneneh Jenkins, Jerome, Roscoe, Ol’ Otis and Mama Payne, became fan favorites.

Despite its popularity, the sitcom came to an abrupt end following behind-the-scenes conflict between Lawrence and co-star Tisha Campbell.

“Regardless of the past or any misrepresentation of it In the press, I have nothin but love for Tisha then and now,” Lawrence wrote in 2020. “We are good and always will be!”

In 1997, Campbell filed a lawsuit accusing Lawrence of sexual harassment both on and off the set.

The complaint alleged sexual battery, verbal abuse, repeated yelling and threats during production, unwanted groping while filming scenes in bed and attempts to kiss her with his tongue.

The lawsuit was ultimately settled out of court, but Campbell refused to film scenes with Lawrence during the fifth and final season, forcing producers to keep the two actors apart for much of the series’ closing episodes.

Martin concluded after Season 5, bringing one of the 1990s’ most influential Black sitcoms to an end.

In recent years, however, the cast has publicly reunited, signaling that old tensions have eased.

Lawrence, Campbell, Tichina Arnold and Carl Anthony Payne II came together for a televised reunion celebrating the sitcom’s enduring legacy.

The actors reunited again during the 2024 Primetime Emmy Awards, where “Martin” was honored as one of television’s most influential comedies.

The new series revisits one of the sitcom’s most memorable supporting characters. Varnell Hill first appeared during the second season after reconnecting with Martin Payne, his former coworker from a Detroit radio station.

Hill’s success as a television personality fueled one of the show’s classic rivalries. It eventually inspired Martin to chase his own television ambitions.

“The Varnell Hill Show” premieres Sept. 1 with a two-episode launch on Paramount+, with additional episodes scheduled to debut weekly through Oct. 13.

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