Fans that watched the DC movies in order know that there's been a shifting in universes. The former DCEU is in the past, with co-CEO James Gunn crafting the newly formed DCU. We're just weeks away from the debut of Lanterns on HBO (and streaming with a HBO Max subscription), and star Aaron Pierre recently gushed about why John Stewart is the only DC character he'd ever want to play. And I hope that folks who are doubting the forthcoming show are listening.
What we know about Lanterns has been limited, but there's already been tons of discourse about the upcoming DC series. Namely that there wasn't enough Green Lantern powers in the first footage. CinemaBlend attended the show's panel at San Diego Comic-Con, where Pierre gushed about his love for his Lanterns character. In his words:
If I had the choice to portray any character in the DC Universe I would still choose John. I would choose John every time. And I think that is largely because of his grit, his multifaceted personality and being. This is an individual who is a former Marine sniper and also an architect. Two arguably, seemingly juxtaposed things coexisting in one person. I love how complex he is.
I mean, he's not wrong. On top of having so many layers, John Stewart is one of the most beloved Green Lanterns from the comics, alongside Kyle Rayner and Hal Jordan. The latter will be played by Kyle Chandler in the DC series, with him seemingly training John to be his replacement in the Corps.. And the Lanterns trailer teased how complicated their relationship seems to be.
Later in the same appearance at the Comic-Con Panel, Pierre went on to share his hopes for both John Stewart, and the folks that watch Lanterns when it premiers this August. As he put it:
My hope is that when folks watch this, they watch it and they feel a tangible relationship with him. And they leave with the thought 'If I can just figure out where to put in my Green Lantern application. And if I could just prove that I'm fearless I could be rocking with those folks up there too.'
As previously mentioned, some folks have been unhappy about not seeing Lanterns' heroes suited up much. But with the show so close to its premiere, fan patience (or lack thereof) is about to pay off. I'm a big fan of the Green Lantern Corps., so I can't wait to see latest entry in the first DCU slate of projects aka Gods and Monsters.
You can see Aaron Pierre's comment about John Stewart below:
The pressure is on for Lanterns to deliver for the burgeoning shared universe, especially after Supergirl struggled at the box office. I loved both Creature Commandos and Peacemaker Season 2, so I'm excited to see the DCU expand on the small screen again. And it certainly seems like Aaron Pierre was the right person to cast as John Stewart.
Lanterns will debut its first episode on August 16th as part of the 2026 TV schedule. And despite some doubters, I'm so hyped to see more of the Green Lantern Corps. in live-action.
