There were early rumors that Sinestro would be a part of the DCU Lanterns series, but when casting got underway and some plot details came to light, it was generally assumed that the Green Lantern Corps' most prolific and recognizable villain wouldn't be introduced in the first season.
Now, Deadline is reporting that Danish actor Ulrich Thomsen (Counterpart, Banshee, The Blacklist) is set to play Hal Jordan's arch-nemesis, Thaal Sinestro, in the show.
This take on the character is described as "a former Green Lantern who turned rogue and is ruthless yet undeniably charming. Sinestro’s manipulative nature drives his enduring obsession with his former mentee, Hal Jordan."
Thomsen will be joined by Kyle Chandler as Jordan and Aaron Pierre as John Stewart. Kelly MacDonald (The Radleys, Boardwalk Empire) is set to play the female lead (believed to be Jordan's love-interest), Sheriff Kerry, with Garret Dillahunt on board as the villainous William Macon, "a self-righteous, conspiracy-minded man who masks his ruthless ambition behind a charming and calculated facade."
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."
Production on Lanterns is currently set to commence early this year 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.
Sinestro was previously played by Mark Strong 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."
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