First announced by DC Studios’ co-chairs James Gunn and Peter Safran in January 2022, the streaming series Lanterns is poised to play a major role in the DCU’s Chapter One: Gods and Monsters. Described by Safran as a “terrestrial-based investigation story” in the vein of HBO’s True Detective, the series will be focused on Green Lantern Corps members Hal Jordan and John Stewart who “find this ancient horror on Earth, and these guys are basically supercops on “Precinct Earth” which will play “a really big role leading us into the main story” of the studio’s initial shared narrative.
Led by what Gunn described as “a crack team of writers” that consists of Tom King, Chris Mundy and Damon Lindelof, the series was ordered straight to series by HBO earlier this year. Following that news, the studio began searching for big names on both sides of the camera, eyeing Primetime Emmy Award-winning director Stephen Williams to direct the pilot and targeting star Josh Brolin to portray an older, grizzled version of Hal Jordan. With Brolin passing on the role, the studio continued its search for a big star but reportedly had trouble landing an A-lister for the role. With an eye on a January start of production, there was no true rush to find an actor to fill the role; however, according to a trade report, the studio has found its Hal Jordan.
THR’s Borys Kit and Rick Porter reported that Primetime Emmy award winner Kyle Chandler will be suiting up as the DCU’s Hal Jordan.
John Stewart and Hal Jordan are two of DC’s most compelling characters, and Lanterns brings them to life in an original detective story that is a foundational part of the unified DCU we’re launching next summer with Superman.
-James Gunn and Peter Safran on HBO’s Lanterns
Chandler won his Emmy in 2011 for his portrayal of Texas football coach Eric Taylor in the NBC series, Friday Night Lights. Over the past decade, Chandler has had plenty of other memorable roles, starring as FBI Agent Denham in The Wolf of Wall Street and in both Godzilla: King of Monsters and Godzilla vs. Kong. With Chandler on board, the studio will continue its search for an actor to portray John Stewart, though Elvis star Kelvin Harrision Jr. was recently rumored to be a top choice.
Source: THR
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