DC Studios is assembling an impressive cast for Lanterns, with Kyle Chandler tapped to play Hal Jordan and Stephan James the reported frontrunner to suit up as John Stewart.
Now, @MyTimeToShineH brings word that Kelly MacDonald (Brave, Boardwalk Empire, The Radleys) has been offered one of two female leads in the upcoming HBO series.
This has since been corroborated by Nexus Point News, with the site adding, "She is set to play the [town's] sheriff and Hal Jordan's love interest. It's uncertain if the role is an original character or Carol Ferris."
If she is Carol, then the character has been drastically reinvented because, in the comics, her family owns the Ferris Aircraft Company, where she acts as an executive, and sometimes as a pilot. She later became Star Sapphire, fighting for love across the universe as part of the Star Sapphire Corps.
With that in mind, we'd hazard a guess that MacDonald isn't playing Carol. However, the fact Hal romances the town's sheriff in this murder mystery suggests he and his regular love interest on the page are no longer an item. Hal being in his 50s/60s could also be an indication that Carol's either dead or that her superhero days are long behind her.
MacDonald would be an exciting addition to the DCU, regardless, and it sounds like we're getting a very human story despite the Green Lantern Corps' cosmic background.
So far, Lanterns is shaping up to be one of DC Studios' most intriguing projects and, with it being widely reported that Chandler's Hal will be a one-and-done for this series, its place in the wider DCU promises to be well worth keeping an eye on.
Oh, and it turns out James may not be the frontrunner for John after all...
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).
When Lanterns' creative team was first revealed, James Gunn and Peter Safran, as Co-Chairmen and Co-CEOs of DC Studios, shared a joint statement which read, "We’re thrilled to bring this seminal DC title to HBO with Chris, Damon and Tom at the helm."
"John Stewart and Hal Jordan are two of DC’s most compelling characters, and Lanterns brings them to life in an original detective story that is a foundational part of the unified DCU we’re launching next summer with 'Superman.'"
Lanterns doesn't currently have a confirmed premiere date.