The idea for a Static series originated in 1993 when DC editor-in-chief Jenette Kahn proposed adapting Milestone comics, leading Alan Burnett to write a pilot for an X-Men-style series with Milestone superheroes called 'The New Guard.' After several other Milestone projects were attempted, Static was eventually the one that got made.

Although co-creator Dwayne McDuffie was hired as story editor and writer, he had no direct involvement in the actual development of Static Shock, despite being credited with keeping the show loyal to the comic's 'spirit and tone.'

Static and other Milestone characters were originally from a separate fictional universe from DC's, but when crossovers with other DC animated series were proposed, it was decided to establish them as being in the same DC Animated Universe rather than dealing with multiple dimensions.

Several changes were made from the source comic for the preteen target audience: guns appear less frequently, Richie is not explicitly portrayed as homosexual, and Virgil's mother is depicted as dead (despite being alive in the comics) so the show could focus on a strong father-son relationship.

Richie Foley gained superpowers as Gear in season three partly because producers found it hard to keep fitting him into stories as a non-powered character, and because they wanted to preserve the on-screen 'chemistry' between voice actors Phil LaMarr and Jason Marsden; positive focus-group reactions from children confirmed the decision.

Composer Richard Wolf wanted action scenes to have a 'real adrenaline-pumping beat' of 125 beats per minute, but since hip hop music usually only reached about 110 beats, the score blended electronica with hip hop and DMX-style vocals, R&B, and old school hip hop, with each character getting a specific theme.

Starting with the third season, the show's opening theme was rewritten and performed by Lil' Romeo, co-written with Master P.

Guest voice actors on the series included basketball players Shaquille O'Neal and Karl Malone, as well as musicians from the group B2K, Romeo Miller, and AJ McLean.

Dwayne McDuffie stated that low sales of Static Shock merchandise were one of the main factors behind the series' cancellation, despite the show's strong ratings.

A future, older version of Virgil Hawkins appeared in the Justice League Unlimited episode 'The Once and Future Thing, Part 2: Time, Warped' in January 2005, tying the character further into the wider DC Animated Universe.

A platform video game based on the show was announced by Midway Games for the Game Boy Advance in 2003 and was even shown at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, but it was ultimately cancelled and never released.