Last we heard, Rebel Ridge star Aaron Pierre and The Piano Lesson actor Stephan James were the top contenders to land the role of John Stewart in the DCU Lanterns series, and a frontrunner has reportedly emerged.
According to Jeff Sneider in his latest newsletter, James now looks likely to land the part of the younger ring-slinging hero opposite Kyle Chandler as veteran Green Lantern, Hal Jordan.
Though an offer hasn't been officially made, Sneider believes that DC Studios co-head James Gunn and Lanterns showrunners/EPs Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof and Tom King are all "leaning towards James." If accurate, we can expect the trades to make an announcement fairly soon.
We recently learned that James Hawes (Slow Horses, Penny Dreadful, The Mist, The Alienist, Snowpiercer) will helm the first two episodes.
He joins a creative team that includes Emmy Award-winning Lost and Watchmen creator Damon Lindelof, Ozark showrunner Chris Mundy and comic book writer Tom King. Justin Britt-Gibson, Breannah Gibson and Vanessa Baden Kelly are also said to be on board.
Lanterns "follows 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."
Rumor has it that DC Studios approached several other A-list stars with an offer to play Jordan, but there's a perception that the role has been "tainted" by the notorious big-screen Green Lantern movie starring Ryan Reynolds. We have no idea if this is true, but it would certainly explain why the likes of Brolin, Chris Pine and Ewan McGregor turned down the opportunity.
Production on Lanterns is currently set to commence in Q1 of 2025 in the United Kingdom, potentially putting the show on track for a 2026 release.
Nathan Fillion's Guy Gardner, who will make his debut in Gunn's Superman reboot, is expected to have a supporting role in the series.
An earlier Green Lantern TV series was in the works before Gunn and Safran took over as co-heads of DC Studios. That version was created by Greg Berlanti and would have starred Finn Wittrock as Guy Gardner.
Hal Jordan was previously played by Ryan Reynolds in the infamous 2011 Green Lantern movie.
"This is a story of a couple of Green Lanterns John Stewart and Hal Jordan," Gunn said of the project when it was first announced. "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."