Hal Jordan and John Stewart are getting some backup in Lanterns. The upcoming HBO original series inspired by DC’s Green Lantern comics is already in production, and will highlight the space cop drama that is typically found in the franchise. Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre star as Green Lanterns Hal Jordan and John Stewart, respectively, with Lanterns helping to flesh out the new DC Universe rebooted under the leadership of DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran. Superman is the first feature in the endeavor, and it will introduce audiences to Nathan Fillion’s green ring bearer, Guy Gardner. But that won’t be the last time fans see Guy Gardner in a team-up.
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Entertainment Weekly reports Nathan Fillion will return as Guy Gardner in Lanterns. Gunn has mentioned that “a few other Lanterns” would be “peppered in there” as surprises for DC fans, and now we know at least one of them will be Guy Gardner. Another Green Lantern character that is confirmed is Ulrich Thomsen (Counterpart, The Blacklist) as Sinestro, though it’s not known if he will begin as a member of the Green Lanterns, or as the rival leader of the Yellow Lanterns.
Fillion previously spoke about what drew him to the character of Guy Gardner, teasing that he is looking forward to exploring the character’s flaws, no matter how innocuous they might be.
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“The reality is that people have flaws,” Fillion told Collider. “We all have quirks. We all have vulnerabilities. You could have the most wonderful family, but be like, ‘Oh, my God, my dad drives me nuts. He’s got this one thing.’ Everybody’s got something, and I love to lean into those faults and flaws. It’s what makes people real and what allows audiences to relate, because we all know what that is. We all have our own. We witness it in other people. Guy Gardner is 90% flawed and doesn’t care. That’s one of his flaws. I think there’s a real freedom in playing that. So, for a guy who likes to play flaws and flawed people, Guy Gardner is a gold mine.”
In February, HBO released the first look at Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre as Hal Jordan and John Stewart in Lanterns. “Kyle Chandler is Hal Jordan. Aaron Pierre is John Stewart,” a post from the Max account on Twitter (formerly X) reads. “#Lanterns, the new HBO Original Series from DC Studios, is now in production.”
“Excited that #Lanterns is now in production,” Gunn wrote on X. “DC Studios’ new show for @HBO and Max, from creators Chris Mundy, @damonlindelof, & @tomking_tk, starring Kyle Chandler & @aaron_pierre1, is something really special. @streamonmax @dcofficial”
Gunn has stated how the tone of Superman will be different from Lanterns, demonstrating how the two projects won’t be cookie-cutter copies of each other. “It’s so cool because it is connected to Superman. Because we’ve got Guy Gardner in that and then we’ve got these Green Lanterns over here. And it’s just such a different tone from what Superman is,” Gunn explained during a DC Studios press event attended by ComicBook.
Recent additions to Lanterns include Jasmine Cephas and Jason Ritter, who join Kelly MacDonald as Sheriff Kerry, Garret Dillahunt as William Macon, and Poorna Jagannathan as Zoe. Cephas reportedly plays John Stewart’s mother, Young Bernadette, with Ritter reportedly playing William Macon’s son, Billy Macon.
