Regardless of your thoughts on the film, 2011’s Green Lantern starring Ryan Reynolds is a very divisive film that Reynolds himself still pokes fun at. Since that movie, we haven’t seen a live-action Hal Jordan, and fans were starting to wonder if it would ever happen again. Hype began to build up once it was announced a new Lanterns series was being developed as part of James Gunn’s new DC universe. The long wait is over, and Kyle Chandler is officially playing Hal Jordan in the upcoming HBO series, Lanterns.
While Aaron Pierre, a popular fan cast following his star-making turn in Rebel Ridge, captured many of the headlines after being cast as John Stewart, his Hal Jordan costar Chandler was only initially confirmed to be in talks for the role. Now, James Gunn has taken to Threads to reveal that, yes, Chandler will hold the mantle of Green Lantern alongise Pierre on the small screen, with Jordan expected to teach Srewart the superhero ropes in the TV series. Check out what Gunn had to say about Chandler’s casting below:
“You’ve been asking for a while. Well now (and just now!) it’s official. Welcome to the DCU, Kyle Chandler, our Hal Jordan.”
The 59-year-old actor is best known for starring in the likes of Peter Jackson’s King Kong and for his role in the MonsterVerse franchise, but this is his first time portraying a superhero. His other most prominent roles include Argo, Super 8, Friday Night Lights, and Bloodline. He was long-rumored to be in the running, and it took Pierre’s casting to finally confirm it. While he might’ve been expected to finally land the role, another prominent actor almost put on the suit.
Josh Brolin Almost Played Hal Jordan in Lanterns
Josh Brolin has seen quite a bit in the superhero world between playing Cable in Deadpool 2 and Thanos in the MCU, and his comic book movie legacy came close to continuing as he almost played Hal Jordan. Of course, that didn’t end up happening thanks to Chandler being cast, but Brolin spilled the beans on the rumors of his casting back in September.
“You know what? Green Lantern didn’t work out, but that’s okay. It’s working out. Who is it going to be, Kyle Chandler? I love him as an actor, I think he’s wonderful, actually. And, you know, we’ll see what’s down the line, man.”
Brolin seems very open about returning to the superhero world, so even though he didn’t play Jordan, fans shouldn’t slam the door shut on him yet. Brolin is 56 years old, so the chances of seeing him play a mainline character aren’t as likely anymore, but being part of an ensemble cast like Lanterns would be a good fit for him.
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James Gunn Debunks One Theory About Aaron Pierre’s Green Lantern Casting
Aaron Pierre earned his part in Lanterns without the influence of his hit Netflix action thriller.
While Lanterns is developed under Gunn’s DC Studios, it’s not a movie. Instead, it’s a TV show that is set to run for eight episodes on HBO. The door is still wide open for it to crossover with the larger universe, but being on TV gives it more room to grow. It could end up being a lot like Peacemaker where it was firmly set in the DC universe, but told a largely self-contained story. With casting now complete for the main stars, production on the show can begin. Lanterns currently has no release date, but it’s possible it could receive a late 2025 release if the team gets to work quickly.
In the meantime, DC fans can look forward to the official start of Gunn’s DCU with Creature Commandos in December. Like Lanterns, Creature Commandos is a TV show, so fans looking for a theatrical release have to wait until 2025’s Superman.
