HBO and DC Studios’ high-profile Lanterns series is rapidly heating up and has just found its John Stewart in Rebel Ridge’s Aaron Pierre after a very long search for the perfect actor to go with Kyle Chandler’s Hal Jordan.
James Gunn’s DCU is off to an exciting start this year with Creature Commandos, a stylish animated series. In 2025, his Superman reboot will mark the universe’s first live-action movie and Peacemaker will get a second season. Up next, Supergirl and Lanterns are coming to the big and small screen respectively. It’s all ramping up rather quickly, and DC fans and casual audiences alike are starting to wonder whether this is the one Warner/DC attempt at a shared universe that doesn’t crash and burn.
The exciting casting update arrived on October 9 (via The Hollywood Reporter), putting an end to weeks of speculation and fan wishlists. Luckily, Pierre was at the top of many lists following a stellar leading performance in Netflix’s Rebel Ridge, which premiered last month.
While the actor has been a name to watch out for in recent times, it was the Jeremy Saulnier-helmed action crime thriller and Pierre’s strong presence and commanding performance that elevated him to new heights, with online buzz praising him as one of 2024’s biggest on-screen badasses. Even if you’re not much of a DC fan, it’s easy to see how he could nail John Stewart with good-enough material.
Luckily, Lanterns comes from Chris Mundy (Ozark), Damon Lindelof (Watchmen, Lost), and Eisner Award-winning comic book writer Tom King; all three are executive producing and writing, with Mundy showrunning the eight-episode season, which is currently being described as “a dark, Earth-based mystery” in which Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) “investigate a murder in the American heartland.” Think True Detective but following at least two members of the famous space police force.
Though the show will stream through Max, it’s in development at HBO, with DC Studios honchos James Gunn and Peter Safran overseeing the project. Expect more casting news in the coming weeks, as it’s looking like Lanterns will shoot at some point in 2025.