A rumor that Josh Brolin was in talks to play Hal Jordan in the upcoming HBO Lanterns series did the rounds earlier this month, with the trades seemingly backing up the initial report when it was announced that Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights, Catch 22) had landed the part.
Brolin - who is no stranger to superhero roles having previously played Thanos, Cable and Jonah Hex - has now confirmed that he was in negotiations for the role. The Dune Part Two star declined to go into specifics, instead praising the man who will suit-up as the veteran ring-slinging hero in the DCU series.
"You know what? Green Lantern didn't work out, but that's okay," Brolin told ComicBook.com when asked if he turned down the role because he was holding out for a better DC character. "It's working out. Who is it going to be, Kyle Chandler? I love him as an actor, I think he's wonderful, actually. And, you know, we'll see what's down the line, man."
Rumor has it that DC Studios approached several other A-list stars with an offer to play Jordan, but there's a perception that the role has been "tainted" by the notorious big-screen Green Lantern movie starring Ryan Reynolds. We have no idea if this is true, but it would certainly explain why the likes of Brolin, Chris Pine and Ewan McGregor evidently turned down the opportunity.
Casting is currently underway for an actor to play John Stewart, with Aaron Pierre and Stephan James believed to be the frontrunners.
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."
Emmy Award-winning Lost and Watchmen creator Damon Lindelof is working on the pilot script along with Ozark showrunner Chris Mundy and King. Justin Britt-Gibson, Breannah Gibson and Vanessa Baden Kelly are also said to be on board.
Stephen Williams (Lost, Watchmen, Westworld) is reportedly in talks to direct the pilot.
Production on Lanterns is currently set to commence in Q1 of 2025 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.
An earlier Green Lantern TV series was in the works before Gunn and Safran took over as co-heads of DC Studios. That version was created by Greg Berlanti and would have starred Finn Wittrock as Guy Gardner.
Hal Jordan was previously played by Ryan Reynolds 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."