In brightest day, in blackest night, clear eyes, full heart, can’t lose! Kyle Chandler has been cast as Green Lantern Hal Jordan in DC and HBO’s upcoming Lanterns series.
Chandler won the role (via The Hollywood Reporter) over rumored names like Chris Pine and Ewan McGregor, while Josh Brolin reportedly passed on the project. The Emmy-winning Friday Night Lights alum’s casting gives DC Comics fans their first live-action Hal Jordan since Ryan Reynolds’ infamous 2011 Green Lantern adaptation.
The character is a legendary ring bearer in the DC universe, seen as the gold standard for Green Lanterns despite his sometimes headstrong approach. In Lanterns, Jordan will be the grizzled veteran who reluctantly has to train up a new Lantern, John Stewart, as they investigate an Earth-based murder with interplanetary implications. Word has it that DC is hoping to cast a younger actor to play the role of Stewart, one of the first Black superheroes in DC Comics history and known for having a strong sense of integrity and justice.
Lanterns, which has a straight-to-series order from HBO after years of various development stages, comes from the co-writing/EP trio of Chris Mundy (Ozark), Damon Lindelof (Watchmen, Lost), and acclaimed comics writer Tom King. Mundy will also serve as showrunner. The project falls under the purview of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s revamped DC Studios, with the pair telling fans that the “original detective story… is a foundational part of the unified DCU we’re launching next summer with Superman.”
Lanterns is expected to film between January and June next year, with no release date yet announced. When it does debut, however, you can catch it by signing up for Max, or save 38% on three services by bundling Max with Disney+ and Hulu.
Neither Hal Jordan nor John Stewart will be the first Green Lantern to debut in the DC Universe’s Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters, however. That honor goes to Guy Gardner, with Nathan Fillion portraying the hot-headed hero in the Gunn-directed Superman. Starring David Corenswet in the title cape, that July 11th, 2025 movie also stars Rachel Brosnahan (Lois Lane), Nicholas Hoult (Lex Luthor), Anthony Carrigan (Metamorpho), Wendell Pierce (Perry White), Edi Gathegi (Mister Terrific), and Isabela Merced (Hawkgirl).