The casting of Aaron Pierre as John Stewart in HBO's forthcoming Lanterns series has prompted speculation regarding the decisive factors influencing the network's choice, specifically what carries more weight- previous performances or audition dynamics?
When questioned about whether Rebel Ridge played a pivotal role in Pierre landing the role of John Stewart, James Hawes (The Amateur, Slow Horses), director of the pilot and second episode, offered a nuanced perspective.
During the casting period last September, Pierre was reportedly considered alongside a competitive field of talent, including Damson Idris (F1), Stephan James (21 Bridges), Sope Dirisu (Slow Horses), Kelvin Harrison Jr. (Chevalier), and Toheeb Jimoh (Ted Lasso).
In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Hawes indicated that Pierre's audition ultimately proved compelling, securing the consensus of the entire casting team.
"I honestly think he did it totally individually in the room. With some chemistry castings and the like, it just felt like he would inhabit the role. He has such a magnificent presence. He feels so forceful, so cool, so understated," praised Haes of Pierre's audition.
"Again, I wanted this world to be rooted, and while there’s only so far you can go with rooting characters in a show about Green Lantern, they are. This is a world where we accept that the Green Lanterns exist and aliens exist. So the rest of it is played straight and in the world as we know it."
As for his impression of James Gunn, Peter Safran and the rest of the DC Studios brass, Hawes stated that they've nothing but lovely to work with during his time on the project.
"Well, I can only tell you from my experience, which is that it has been inspiring and supportive and truly thrilling. I will know more in a few months’ time, but right now, [Lanterns] just felt like a real burst of creative energy."
The series description for Lanterns has previously been described as, "following new recruit John Stewart and Lantern legend Hal Jordan, two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland."
Lanterns was part of the original DCU: Gods and Monsters Chapter One rollout video released by DC Studios and James Gunn.
During that promo video, Gunn described the series as, "this is a story of a couple of Green Lanterns John Stewart and Hal Jordan. We have a few other Lanterns peppered in there but this is really a terrestrial based TV show which is almost like True Detective with a couple of Green Lanterns who are space cops watching over Precinct Earth in it they discover a terrifying mystery that ties into our largest story of the DCU."
Lanterns is expected to arrive on HBO in early 2026.