LANTERNS Casting Details Reveal Surprising Plans To Explore Hal Jordan's DCU History - Possible SPOILERS

LANTERNS Casting Details Reveal Surprising Plans To Explore Hal Jordan's DCU History - Possible SPOILERS

New Lanterns casting details appear to confirm that the HBO Max TV series will explore Hal Jordan's past; are we getting an origin story for the iconic Green Lantern Corps member? Read on for details...

By JoshWilding - Jul 01, 2025 06:07 AM EST
Filed Under: Lanterns
Source: Nexus Point News

DC Studios' approach to Lanterns has been interesting, to say the least. While it's hard to fault the decision to make John Stewart the DCU's main Green Lantern, casting a 59-year-old Hal Jordan (and a 54-year-old Guy Gardner) wasn't something anyone saw coming.

Still, it means those characters have a built-in history in the DCU, and Nexus Point News has today confirmed that Hal's past will be explored in the upcoming HBO Max TV series. 

Lanterns has already cast younger and older versions of John's parents, as well as a child version of the character and his brother. That's led to speculation about a flashback episode for the hero, and the same may be in the works for Hal as his parents, Martin and Jessica Jordan, are also being cast. 

According to the site, "Martin is described as handsome, confident, charming, but hides a deep sadness. Similar to the comics, he’s a pilot and hero to young Hal, who he has a very close relationship to. The series is also confirmed to depict the death of Martin Jordan and the influence it has on Hal as a child."

"Jessica is described as being emotionless after the death of her husband and she is being cast for a funeral scene. In addition, a child version of Hal is being cast for multiple scenes," the report adds. "He’s described as defiant, spirited, brave, and a rule breaker who follows in his father’s footsteps."

While not confirmed, it seems safe to say that we're getting the origin stories for both Hal and John. Whether that means we'll see a younger Hal serving in the Green Lantern Corps remains to be seen, but we've repeatedly heard that the show will feature cosmic elements and take us to Oa. 

Very little has been revealed about where Lanterns will take its leads. Kyle Chandler is rumoured to have only signed up for this series and no feature appearances, meaning he may be killed or become the villainous Parallax, setting the stage for future stories. 

DC Studios' 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.

Chris Mundy (True Detective: Night Country) is serving as showrunner and executive producer and will write Lanterns with Damon Lindelof (Watchmen) and comic book scribe Tom King (Supergirl). The cast includes Aaron Pierre as John Stewart, Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan, and Ulrich Thomsen as Sinestro. 

Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt, Poorna Jagannathan, Nicole Ari Parker, Jason Ritter, J. Alphonse Nicholson, and Jasmine Cephas Jones round out the supporting cast.

Lanterns is set to premiere on HBO and Max in 2026.

LANTERNS Is A John Stewart Story Says James Gunn, HBO CEO Thinks It Will Be An Emmy-Contender
Related:

LANTERNS Is A John Stewart Story Says James Gunn, HBO CEO Thinks It Will Be An Emmy-Contender

DC Studios And HBO Max's LANTERNS Series Appears To Have Wrapped Filming
Recommended For You:

DC Studios And HBO Max's LANTERNS Series Appears To Have Wrapped Filming

DISCLAIMER: As a user generated site and platform, ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and "Safe Harbor" provisions.

This post was submitted by a user who has agreed to our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines. ComicBookMovie.com will disable users who knowingly commit plagiarism, piracy, trademark or copyright infringement. Please CONTACT US for expeditious removal of copyrighted/trademarked content. CLICK HERE to learn more about our copyright and trademark policies.

Note that ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

THEKENDOMAN
THEKENDOMAN - 7/1/2025, 6:15 AM
“Martin is described as handsome, confident, and charming, but hides a deep sadness”.

What does [frick]ing him being handsome have anything to do with
it?😂

What if the article read: “Martin is described as ugly, fat with low who hides a deep insecurity..🙄

Anyway, it's good they are going deep into Hal’s Backstory. It’s quite obvious he's not going to get a deep history on the big screen, and it's very clear the focus is on John as the main Green Lantern.

For [frick]s Sake
AC1
AC1 - 7/1/2025, 12:20 PM
@THEKENDOMAN - They always put info like that in casting calls, it helps everyone involved in the casting process (casting directors, agents, etc) narrow down their search criteria when looking for actors to put forward for auditions.
THEKENDOMAN
THEKENDOMAN - 7/1/2025, 3:38 PM
@AC1 - Right.

Nice one 👊🏿
Repian
Repian - 7/1/2025, 6:33 AM
James Marsden as Martin Jordan.
User Comment Image
SteviesRightFoo
SteviesRightFoo - 7/1/2025, 8:19 AM
@Repian - good call
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 7/1/2025, 6:53 AM
Oh you mean the Geoff Johns Rebirth history. I thought y'all meant like Silver Age Hal, Hard Travelling Heroes or Emerald Twilight.
Nevermind. Maybe later.
Repian
Repian - 7/1/2025, 6:53 AM
Perhaps Parallax is using the emotional aftermath of Martin Jordan's death to get closer to Hal. Fear is the vulnerability Parallax exploits. The fear of losing someone again.
jst5
jst5 - 7/1/2025, 7:57 AM
@Repian - If rumors are true the shows sets up in a major way where the DCU is headed story wise.
ModHaterSLADE
ModHaterSLADE - 7/1/2025, 6:55 AM
I don't mind older takes on foundation Justice League members if they can do something interesting with it. If they can show us compelling stories set in the present and past, I'm all for it.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 7/1/2025, 7:47 AM
Cool if true!!.

Seems like the dad will have a bigger role then the mom which makes sense since he is a bigger influence on Hal as a character.

Anyway , wouldn’t be surprised if they use this to mirror John’s childhood and show how different yet similar they are.
Pictilli
Pictilli - 7/1/2025, 8:53 AM
This is excellent so far
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 7/1/2025, 9:30 AM
I've been on board with everything Gunn is doing so far except Hal Jordan. He is the MAIN Lantern of the entire corps and to relegate him to retirement and a one episode flashback as an explanation of his origin is ridiculous.
They seriously can't still be worried about the 2011 film from 14 years ago. The only one who does is Reynolds himself.
LenSpiderman
LenSpiderman - 7/1/2025, 9:35 AM
@lazlodaytona - maybe if this show hits they’ll do multiple seasons and include more and more Hal backstory? Not quite the same as focusing on young Hal adventures, but it’d be something?
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 7/1/2025, 10:02 AM
@LenSpiderman - yeah, I guess they could always do a flashback series in a similar vein to Obi-Wan.
LenSpiderman
LenSpiderman - 7/1/2025, 9:32 AM
I’d love to see a younger Hal/Guy dynamic. Unfortunately Nathan Fillion is establishing who Guy is in this universe and doing it in a Gunn written and directed film, and from what I can tell he’s filling one of Gunn’s usual brash but lovable dopey dufus roles that he always needs to include. I know that also pretty much describes Guy in the comics, but Fillion seems to be playing it with a bit too much of a wink and a nod and he just seems so over the top. Of course we haven’t seen enough for me to say this for sure so, cautiously optimistic?
Odekahn
Odekahn - 7/1/2025, 10:05 AM
“While it's hard to fault the decision to make John Stewart the DCU's main Green Lantern”

No, it’s actually not hard at all…

Please log in to post comments.

Don't have an account?
Please Register.

View Recorder