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Rebel Ridge star Aaron Pierre joins HBO’s Green Lantern series as John Stewart

BBG News

As a hardcore gamer and comic book enthusiast who has spent countless hours immersed in virtual worlds and the pages of DC comics, I must say that I am beyond excited about HBO’s upcoming show, “Lanterns.” While I’ve often been disappointed by superhero spinoffs, HBO seems to be bucking that trend with “The Penguin” and now looks set to do it again with “Lanterns.

Among the shows currently airing, I find HBO’s “The Penguin” to be my top pick, which is quite unexpected since it’s a spinoff of a superhero series and I often approach these with apprehension, fearing they might just be money-making schemes. However, HBO has managed to deliver an exceptional quality show with “The Penguin”, demonstrating that even a superhero series can match the intensity of other programs on the network.

It’s great news since more DC Comics-inspired series are on the horizon. To clarify, Chris Mundy, who is widely recognized for his role as showrunner on Ozark, will also take up this position for a new show called Lanterns. This series revolves around the Green Lantern Corps, a group of space police officers who maintain order in the galaxy using magical rings that can materialize their thoughts. The show is rumored to incorporate aspects from True Detective, another project Mundy has worked on, and is said to be a mystery series. The primary narrative will focus on the relationship between veteran Green Lantern Hal Jordan, who is well-known in comics, and John Stewart, a younger Lantern whom Hal will guide.

It has been confirmed that Friday Night Lights veteran, Kyle Chandler, will portray Hal Jordan, while The Hollywood Reporter indicates that Aaron Pierre will play John Stewart. Aaron Pierre’s acting career has been on an upward trajectory for quite some time, but it gained significant momentum last month when he starred as Marine Corps veteran Terry Richmond in the action-thriller Rebel Ridge, which topped Netflix’s charts for three consecutive weeks. In December, he will voice the lead character Mufasa in a prequel film of The Lion King. With his rising stardom, Aaron Pierre’s moment has come, and Lanterns seems to have timed their casting perfectly.

In the comics, John Stewart is portrayed as a former Marine Corps veteran, making his casting an auspicious coincidence. Over the years, Stewart has been a staple in the DC Universe, but gained significant popularity due to a string of animated DC shows during the 2000s. During this time, he essentially represented the entire Green Lantern corps. In these animated series, Phil LaMarr lent his voice to the character.

John Stewart’s actions significantly contributed to his rise as one of the notable Black superheroes frequently featured. Incorporating him as a significant character in the upcoming HBO series is indeed an excellent decision, especially since it also features Chandler’s Hal Jordan.

Besides being the showrunner, Chris Mundy will also contribute to the script for “Lanterns”. This collaborative effort includes Damon Lindelof, creator of both “Lost” and “Watchmen”, as well as Tom King, a renowned Eisner Award-winning comic book writer. The initial season consists of eight episodes. As the first DC TV series produced under James Gunn and Peter Safran’s leadership at DC Studios, “Lanterns” is an exciting development. Although a release date has yet to be announced, early indications are promising, and I have high hopes for this project.

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2024-10-10 18:41

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