While there's no denying that Kyle Chandler is a terrific actor, the Friday Night Lights star being cast as the DCU's Hal Jordan in Lanterns has drawn a mixed response from fans. The actor is 59, meaning we'll likely catch up with the Green Lantern near the end of his superhero career.
Fans had hoped for a new origin story; instead, John Stewart (played by 30-year-old Aaron Pierre) will likely be the DCU's main Green Lantern and, honestly, that's far from a bad thing...particularly for Justice League Unlimited fans!
Talking to IGN, DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn was asked about the complaints and replied, "Wait a second, comic book fans had an opinion on casting. What are you talking about!?"
"The truth is Chris [Mundy] and Tom [King] and Damon [Lindelof] wrote an amazing series, like an incredible series. I'm so excited for people to see this. It's very grounded, very believable, very real," he teased. "The kind of things that you would never think that would be the truth about a Green Lanterns television series."
"And very human, adult and wonderful. And the story that they wrote fit a couple of actors who were of these ages and so that's who they cast. Those were their choices. I totally backed them up. I love them."
"So I'm really excited for people to see what those guys have come up with. But everything is to serve the story. The story is always first. The scripts are always first," Gunn continued. "And we would never be making this show if Chris and the guys hadn't turned in wonderful, beautiful scripts."
It's been widely reported that Chandler's role in Lanterns will be a one-and-done, leading to Parallax speculation. Based on Gunn's comments about this being a "grounded" series, we're not banking on that particular transformation playing out.
As for when we'll see Lanterns on HBO, he explained, "It's really Creature Commandos, Superman, Peacemaker, Lanterns, Supergirl. And then some things people don't know."
That puts Lanterns on track to be released before Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow swoops into theaters on June 26, 2026. Gunn later noted, "We'll see when it comes out, but they're around the same time."
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).
As noted, Lanterns will premiere on HBO in 2026.