After several years of development, HBO and DC’s Lanterns series is poised to start production, signaling a fresh direction for the DC Universe under James Gunn’s leadership. Per The Hollywood Reporter, Lanterns has successfully cast Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan, the most famous Green Lantern.
This casting news follows reports that Josh Brolin turned down the role, leading to Chandler’s casting. Chandler, renowned for his Emmy-winning portrayal of Coach Eric Taylor in Friday Night Lights, adds significant star power as the series prepares to explore the cosmic adventures of the Green Lantern Corps, depicted as space-faring police officers.
The upcoming Lanterns series marks a strategic move by DC Studios, co-chaired by James Gunn, to integrate television and film narratives within the DC Universe. This strategy is evident as the series will connect with Gunn’s other projects, including a new Superman film and features like Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow and Swamp Thing. Gunn describes the series as uncovering “an ancient horror on Earth,” positioning the Green Lanterns as supercops on “Precinct Earth.”
Chris Mundy of Ozark fame serves as showrunner, executive producer, and co-writer, collaborating with Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof and DC writer Tom King. The series also intends to revisit the characters of John Stewart and Hal Jordan, exploring them as central figures in a detective story that Gunn promises will be foundational for the new unified DC Universe, set to launch with the animated Creature Commandos and follow up with Superman in July 2025.
Kyle Chandler’s previous roles have seen him in a variety of dramatic and action-packed settings, from Bloodline to Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and historical dramas like Argo and Zero Dark Thirty. This role as Hal Jordan continues his trajectory in high-stakes storytelling.
This reboot of the Green Lantern narrative comes after the infamous 2011 film starring Ryan Reynolds failed to meet expectations. With a new creative team and direction, Lanterns promises to offer a unique take on the superhero genre, blending space opera with crime procedural elements, set within the expanding DC Universe.
Natalie is a big fan of anything related to movies, TV shows, games, and comics — you name it. When she’s not reading or geeking out about the latest shows on Netflix, she’s probably playing gacha and tabletop games, or daydreaming of meeting her idols.
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