Aaron Pierre Says <em>Lanterns</em> Has "Been a Long Time Coming"

HBO does gritty crime dramas better than anyone else. A roster of shows including Task, True Detective, The Wire, and The Penguin is hard to beat. So, the network is hoping that when they tackle the next DC Studios property as a detective mystery, it has the same level of success as Colin Farrell's Oz Cobb in The Penguin. The secret lies in the casting. That's why when Damon Lindelof and Chris Mundy approached Warner Bros. about a Green Lanterns series, they knew they needed the right man for the job. They eventually landed on Aaron Pierre.

The Rebel Ridge star will play John Stewart in the upcoming Lanterns series, which plans to blend elements of True Detective and the DC character’s super-powered rings into a story about a murder in Nebraska. Stewart is one of the most famous Black superheroes in modern comics, and he’s never had a robust live-action depiction until now. According to the show’s official logline, he's in training to replace the retiring Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) in Lanterns when a Nebraska murder leads to even darker mysteries.

“It's been a long time coming for many fans and supporters,” Pierre told Esquire earlier this month. “And I truly hope with all my heart that we make everybody proud.”

For everything else we know about Lanterns, read on below.

Aaron Pierre in Rebel Ridge.

The new HBO series from Lindelof (Watchmen) and Mundy (Ozark) will reportedly start out as a detective drama following a murder in Nebraska. Meanwhile, the new Green Lantern recruit John Stewart is in training to replace Hal Jordan as they investigate. I fully expect the character’s powerful rings and their connection to an entire corps of space cops to worm its way into the series at some point—as the Nebraska setting makes way for some deeper galactic threat.

Still, it appears for now that Lanterns will work to keep the character’s as relatable and down-to-Earth as possible.

"One of the things that I love the most about the Lantern Corps is that, yes, they are heroes. Yes, they are celebrated and championed as such, but they embrace their flaws in a way that is beautiful," Pierre says. "Knowing what I know and what we've done with this season, even if I wasn't part of it, I would watch it and say, ‘I know those guys. In real life, I know those guys.' "

"There are multiple access points to these heroes, because they are flawed and they embrace their flaws," Pierre continues. "They do their best to redeem themselves actively, consciously… There's just a relatability to it that is beautiful."

Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner in Superman.

Nathan Fillion reprises his role as Green Lantern Corps member Guy Gardner from this summer’s Superman. He previously told Entertainment Weekly that this version of the character would be “higher strung.”

Ulrich Thomsen plays Sinestro, a former member of the Corps and one of the Green Lantern’s most famous foes. The series also stars Kelly McDonald (Boardwalk Empire) as a sheriff named Kerry, Garret Dillahunt (Fear The Walking Dead) as a modern cowboy named William Macon, Paul Ben-Victor (The Wire) as an alien named Antaan, plus Laura Linney in an undisclosed role.

HBO has yet to set a firm release date for Lanterns, but the series is expected to air sometime in early 2026. According to DC Studios head James Gunn, he intends for the series to run around the same time as Supergirl, which is scheduled for June 26, 2026.