Lanterns: Everything we know about the upcoming DCU HBO series

What Do We Know About the upcoming DCU original series Lanterns? More thank you may think. The HBO series will be the first live-action project on television from James Gunn’s rebooted DC cinematic universe. With casting announcements, rumors, and more, we know a lot of what is to come. So, let’s jump in and discuss Lanterns.

We will see multiple Green Lanterns

While we met several members of the Green Lantern Corps in the Ryan Reynolds-led feature film, this new series is intentionally plural, as we will meet more than just Hal Jordan. According to James Gunn, Lanterns will center on Jon Stewart, who briefly appeared in Zack Snyder’s Justice League in a non-speaking role. We also know that James Gunn’s longtime friend and collaborator Nathan Fillion is portraying Lanterns hero Guy Gardner in the upcoming Superman movie and will potentially appear.

Kyle Chandler is Hal Jordan, but it was almost Josh Brolin

Many casting rumors were bandied about, with the Mayor of Kingstown and Friday Night Lights star Kyle Chandler being officially linked to the role of Hal Jordan. We previously had heard that Josh Brolin was offered the role but turned it down. Rumors have also circled around Matthew McConaughey and Ewan McGregor for the Jordan role, which is expected to be that of an established Lantern rather than the origin story we saw in the 2011 film.

Aaron Pierre will play the role of John Stewart

John Stewart was the next major character needing to be cast, and reports had it down to two contenders. Aaron Pierre, who recently starred in the Netflix action movie Rebel Ridge, and Stephan James, star of Homecoming, were both up for the lead role in Lanterns. Reports also had Snowfall actor Damon Idris in contention, but was removed from the running for the role. In the comics, Stewart has become the most powerful Green Lantern ever, but the series looks poised to set him as a rookie in the Corps learning how to wield a Power Ring under the mentorship of Hal Jordan. With Pierre landing the role, it was only a matter of time for the rest of the ensemble to fall into place.

Here’s the first image of Chandler and Pierre in character:

Supporting Cast

Chandler and Pierre are joined in the cast by Kelly Macdonald (Boardwalk Empire) as Sheriff Kerry, a “no-nonsense woman deeply devoted to her family and close-knit town. Hardened by a complicated past, Sheriff Kerry answers the call when her community’s secrets start bubbling to the surface”; Garret Dillahunt (Fear the Walking Dead) as William Macon, a modern cowboy who is described as “a self-righteous, conspiracy-minded man who masks his ruthless ambition behind a charming and calculated facade”; Poorna Jagannathan (Never Have I Ever) as Zoe, who is described as “effortlessly confident and poised in any setting, even those where she stands out. She is every bit as composed and cunning as the influential men around her”; Ulrich Thomsen (Banshee) as the supervillain Sinestro; and Jason Ritter (Freddy vs. Jason) as Billy Macon, “a good-looking charmer who does his father’s bidding. Capitalizing on his family’s reputation, he clings to his small-town ego and has everything to lose.”

Jasmine Cephas Jones (Blindspotting) has a key guest-starring role as a younger version of the Bernadette character, “Stewart’s resilient mother and forever the family fixer. She is a perceptive, big-picture thinker who demands excellence from herself and her family.” Nicole Ari Parker (And Just Like That…) plays the present-day version of Bernadette.

Also taking on a guest-starring role is Chris Coy (Lawmen: Bass Reeves), who will be playing a character named Waylon Sanders, “an intelligent survivor or a nervous truck driver. Age and real name unknown, he’s unbound by the laws of nature.”

Nathan Fillion will be appearing in James Gunn’s Superman as a Green Lantern named Guy Gardner, and will be reprising the role on Lanterns. Fillion recently teased a little about his character. “He’s a jerk! What’s important to know is, you don’t have to be good to be a Green Lantern; you just have to be fearless,” he said. “So Guy Gardner is fearless, and he is not very good. He’s not nice, which is very freeing as an actor because you just think to yourself, what is the most selfish, self-serving thing I can do in this moment? And that’s the answer. I think if he has a superpower, it might be his overconfidence, in that he thinks he could take on Superman. He can’t!“

Damon Lindelof and Chris Mundy are showrunners

Employing solid creative talent is the bedrock for a project like Lanterns, so James Gunn has enlisted two of the best. Chris Mundy, showrunner of Netflix’s acclaimed Ozark, is working on Lanterns alongside Damon Lindelof, the man behind HBO’s critically acclaimed Watchmen and The Leftovers and the iconic series Lost. Lindelof and Mundy, alongside Tom King, wrote the pilot for Lanterns and the series bible, setting the show for long-term success. This is the latest iteration of a Green Lantern series after Greg Berlanti’s previously announced show had been scrapped with Gunn’s DCU reboot.

Plot details are under wraps

Gunn has not revealed much about Lanterns other than that it would be a mystery along the lines of True Detective. Following a couple of Lantern Corps members, the heroes would investigate an Earth-based mystery. While having a pair of space cops with rings that allow them to make amazing weapons seems like overkill for a police procedural, I would expect some fun twists to come from the new series. It would also allow the series to differentiate itself from the slew of other comic book properties coming from DC, which is aiming to diversify its catalog of properties. DC Studios co-leader Peter Safran has also revealed that the investigation in Lanterns will tie directly into the main storyline of the new DCU.

Lanterns will likely debut in 2026

James Gunn has only confirmed release dates for Superman in 2025, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, and The Batman: Part II on the big screen in 2026, along with the animated series Creature Commandos later this year. It does appear that the casting call underway is intended to have the series ready to shoot in early 2025 and wrapping by July. With heavy special effects needed, it seems unlikely we will see the Lanterns debut until 2026.

Stay tuned to JoBlo.com as we learn more about Lanterns and all of your other favorite shows. What do you expect to see in the upcoming Lanterns season? Let us know in the comments, click like, and subscribe to follow all our latest original videos.

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