The cast of Lanterns continues to expand as The InSneider brings word today that Jason Ritter (Matlock) has joined the upcoming DC Studios series.
He'll reportedly play the husband of Kelly Macdonald's character; she's been cast as Sheriff Kerry, a character described as "a no-nonsense woman deeply devoted to her family and close-knit town. Her resilience, shaped by a complex past that’s hardened her resolve, anchors her when the community’s secrets begin to surface."
There had been rumblings about Kerry being a love interest for Hal Jordan, though this news may go some way in debunking that.
Ritter is best known for his Emmy-nominated role in Parenthood. He also counts Gravity Falls, Kevin (Probably) Saves the World, and Frozen II among his film and television credits.
Poorna Jagannathan, who is said to be playing a character called Zoe in Lanterns, recently confirmed that the grounded series will also explore the Green Lantern Corps beyond Sector 2814.
"I couldn't have loved the writing for Green Lantern more," she enthused. "Like Deli Boys, the Green Lantern series is extraordinarily well-written and my character is extraordinarily well-built. And also, the way I can describe all the characters."
"We have all the characters we know and love... the Lanterns, the Guardians, Sinestros, and that world is still intact and everyone is presented as heroes and villains at the same time," Jagannathan added. "And that's what makes the writing so complex, layered and so wonderful."
News also broke this week that Nicole Ari Parker (And Just Like That) has joined Lanterns' cast as Bernadette, the mother of John Stewart.
"Our Lanterns have the rings and all the power they bring, and other characters and aspects of the lore are going to show up or be name-checked," showrunner Chris Mundy recently revealed. "But it’s a series that explores who these guys are when they’re on the job and when they’re out of uniform."
"It’s designed to be accessible for people who don’t know the mythology, but hopefully really satisfying for people that know it backwards and forwards," he added. "We’re not part of a larger storytelling plan right now. Season one is designed to be its own, complete season of television that, hopefully, will become many seasons of television."
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.
Lanterns is set to premiere on HBO and Max in 2026.