DC Studios has zeroed in on its favorites to play John Stewart in the upcoming Lanterns HBO series.
According to a recent report from THR, both Aaron Pierre and Stephan James are in the mix to play Stewart in the DC Universe series. It’s unclear how far either actor is in the process, however, but the report notes that a decision could be made by the end of the weekend.
Pierre is coming off of a starring role in 2024’s Rebel Ridge, a Netflix action movie that garnered massive praise, specifically for his performance. Pierre is also set to star as Mufasa in 2024’s Mufasa: The Lion King, and also starred in M. Night Shyamalan’s 2021 thriller Old.
James is best known for his performance as Jesse Owens in the 2016 sports biopic Race. He also starred in 2018’s If Beale Street Could Talk, 2019’s 21 Bridges, and the 2023 MGM+ sci-fi thriller series Beacon 23.
What do we know about Lanterns?
Depending on which actor is chosen, they will be joining Kyle Chandler in the upcoming series. Chandler was recently cast as Hal Jordan in the series. A separate report from THR notes that HBO is looking to begin filming from January to June next year, so more information should come soon.
Lanterns will be executive produced by Chris Mundy (True Detective: Night Country, Ozark), Damon Lindelof (The Leftovers, Watchmen), and Tom King (Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow), with the latter two also co-writing the series. It received an official straight-to-series-order at HBO last June 2024, more than a year since the 8-episode project was first announced back in January 2023.
“The series follows new recruit John Stewart and Lantern legend Hal Jordan, two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland,” the synopsis for the show reads.
