He’s cocky, brash, hotheaded, stubborn – the list goes on, and even though he’s a founding member of the Justice League, he has also been one of the most challenging comic book heroes to bring to live action.
DC Comics’ intergalactic peacekeepers, the Green Lanterns, have faced an uphill battle moving from comics to celluloid, and even more so for the Silver Age version, Hal Jordan. In 1979, both Legends of the Superheroes live-action television specials introduced Jordan, but the less said about those more comedic interpretations, the better. Subsequently, the made-but-never-aired 1997 TV pilot of the Justice League of America went with fellow Lantern Guy Gardner instead.
2011’s Green Lantern movie with Ryan Reynolds reintroduced Hal, but the film fizzled badly, such that when Zack Snyder made plans for his Justice League film, it was for yet another Lantern, John Stewart, to make his live-action debut, but it never materialised.
Fans know what happened after, so when noted film and TV actor Kyle Chandler (Godzilla: King of the Monsters) was cast as Hal across from Aaron Pierre’s (Mufasa: The Lion King) John in James Gunn’s new DC Universe streaming series Lanterns, fans were ecstatic but also concerned, especially since it was Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion, The Rookie) who appeared in 2025’s Superman film instead.
Chandler, 60, who found fame with TV’s Friday Night Lights, understands audience expectations as well as what fans believe they want to see, but says that his approach to the role is to not let such demands affect him.
“You can’t get nervous about a role; you just have to block it out,” says Chandler during a paired interview with Pierre for Geek Culture.
“You can make some of the people happy some of the time, but you can’t make all the people happy all the time. So you just do the best you can, try to make it your own, and go from there.”
And that has been the way the concept of the Green Lanterns has been presented as well, first introduced in All-American Comics #16 (July 1940) with Green Lantern Alan Scott as a wielder of a magic ring, before DC Comics brought the ring concept into science fiction, as weapons for a group of intergalactic law enforcers who patrol all 3,600 sectors of space. Green Lanterns comprise heroes from all species in the galaxy, but when it comes to defenders of Earth and Sector 2814, there have been seven notable humans slinging the ring, including Hal, Guy, and John, and all three appear on the series, even if the show focuses primarily on Hal and John.
Driven by the emotional energy of willpower and their near-limitless power to conjure up anything they can think of using their rings, and the fact that there are so many iterations to choose from, bringing the characters to live-action might seem like a sure thing, but apart from a nod to Alan Scott in the 2020 TV series, Stargirl, the only other project was a proposed HBO TV series set to feature Alan, Guy as well as fellow human Lanterns Jessica Cruz and Simon Baz, but it too never materialised.
And while Lanterns marks Hal’s modern TV debut, it is also the first on-screen appearance of John, one of the first few notable African-American superheroes created in the 1970s who has survived in popular culture, and fans can see how two iconic Green Lanterns interact, which is also something Chandler and Pierre worked hard at establishing.
“Kyle and I speak about this often, and it has been the catalyst for our recent conversations, but it’s about staying open and staying available,” explains Pierre. “That is what is most conducive to establishing not just a thriving, healthy dynamic, but also just an exciting one, one where you don’t know what’s going to happen day to day.”
In Lanterns, Chandler’s Hal is already a well-known superhero, literally, as the hero has already revealed his identity to the world. But being a mortal, Earth’s protector needs a successor, and that’s where Pierre’s John comes in.
Despite having a mentor-mentee relationship, you now have two opposing forces. On the one hand, you have an incredibly experienced but reckless Green Lantern whose pride prevents him from accepting John as a true successor, and more of a “benchwarmer”; on the other, an up-and-coming hero full of potential, but one who’s held back by a strict military upbringing and respect for the chain of command.
Of course, this dynamic isn’t something that’s simple to pull off, especially for two actors who have never appeared on-screen together before. But like any healthy relationship, the trick lies in open communication and learning on the go.
“It’s sort of like throwing the hot potato back and forth to each other,” adds Chandler. “That’s literally how it plays out when you’re going into it. Fortunately, we were allowed to improv a little bit and have fun, and that’s what we did.”
Sure enough, based on the first episode of Lanterns alone, the chemistry between the two actors is clear to see. Hal’s arrogant nature is on full display here, just as fans expect, but there’s a hint of fatigue behind his brash exterior, one formed after years of being Earth’s sole protector. Having John under his wing thus gives him almost a renewed purpose in life, even though he’ll never admit it.
The younger Green Lantern-in-training’s composed, respectful nature might seem like the complete opposite of his mentor, but underneath this exterior lies a deeply traumatic past surrounding his military father, who seems to have groomed him to become Hal’s successor since young. Now under the guidance of the man he is supposed to succeed, this opens room for Hal to become the father John never had, one who might genuinely want to see him succeed.
Hal might be the more famous Green Lantern, but John is clearly the focus in Lanterns, and for good reason too, as, unlike his mentor, his clear-headedness and willingness to take responsibility for his mistakes give him the potential to become an even greater hero. And as mentioned, being one of the first African-American superheroes in comic book history, and perhaps the most high-profile, the pressure is on for Pierre to portray the character’s first-ever live-action appearance, one he approached with both fervent excitement and respect for the source material.
“My initial thoughts were primarily just an enormous excitement, feeling very energised and enthusiastic,” recalls Pierre. “And then, what remained was a very healthy anticipation, wanting to serve the legacy of the character and the story.”
Even with his excitement surrounding the role, Pierre understood the weight set upon his shoulders, as although John had never been seen on-screen in a live-action project before, the character was already well-established in DC lore, so he knew that he needed to add a personal touch, to ensure his version of John was truly his own, and not a carbon copy of what had been seen before.
“Obviously, there’s all the necessary and appropriate research and study,” he continues. “But, in my opinion, it’s imperative that you infuse your truth into the character, and similarly, find the truth of the character within yourself, because that’s what makes it authentic and relatable.”
“Once you establish similarities and behaviours that are synonymous with behaviours you have and the traits you have, that’s where the fun really starts. And that’s what also makes it resonate. Otherwise, you’re just copy and pasting, you’re just mimicking, and we had no interest in that.”
Once again, here we see how both Pierre and Chandler have infused a piece of themselves into their characters, as the former has managed to channel his level-headed nature that mirrors that of his on-screen Green Lantern counterpart. But what about Chandler, who has the arguably more fun job of embodying the cocky but legendary Hal Jordan?
“I approach each day with a stiff belt of whiskey and or scotch, and go from there.”
Lanterns is now streaming only on HBO Max.
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
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