Jason Ritter has confirmed that he'll be playing a comedic role in Lanterns.
The actor recently spoke to Forbes about a number of topics but briefly touched on his current work, which is portraying Billy Macon in HBO and Max's Lanterns.
Said Ritter, "We’ve shot four episodes so far and we’re about to start shooting episodes three and four. We’re doing it all a little out of order. The story is kind of jumping all around, but it’s been so fun and it’s a really well-written, really fun show. I’m just trying to fit into that world and maybe put a little silliness in there."
There's rumors that the Macon family are really the Hand family and that Lanterns will dive into the origins of William Hand aka Black Hand before he becomes the undead embodiment of death and herald of Nekron. Fans are divided on whether Black Hand will turn out to be William Macon Sr. (Garret Dillahunt) or William Macon Jr. (Ritter).
Lanterns will consist of 8 episodes for the first season, so the production has reached the halfway mark, per Ritter.
Macon is described as, "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."
The series boasts a powerful cast, with Kyle Chandler stepping into the emerald boots of Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre embodying the unwavering John Stewart. Adding a spark of familiar energy, Nathan Fillion is confirmed to appear as the irrepressible Guy Gardner.
The stellar supporting cast includes Ulrich Thomsen as the menacing Sinestro, Kelly Macdonald as the enigmatic Sherrif Kerry, Garret Dillahunt as William Macon, Poorna Jagannathan as Zoe, Nicole Ari Parker bringing to life John Stewart's mother, Bernadette,Ritter as Billy Macon, and Sherman Augustus portraying John Stewart's father, John Sr.
The first two crucial episodes will be helmed by the seasoned director James Hawes, whose directorial prowess has shaped such notable television as Doctor Who, Merlin, the thought-provoking Black Mirror, the otherworldly Raised by Wolves, and the gripping Slow Horses, setting a high bar for the series' launch.
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.