From the midsize sedan to the blockbuster superhero role of a lifetime. Fast-rising actor Aaron Pierre recently made waves with his lead performance in Jeremy Saulnier's latest action film, “Rebel Ridge,” which immediately stood out from almost every other streaming offering currently available on Netflix. To the rest of us, he will forever be known as the charismatic rapper who went by the brilliantly silly stage name Mid-Sized Sedan from M. Night Shyamalan's “Old” in 2021. It doesn't matter how you were introduced to Pierre, though. , we can all agree that he quickly became one of the most sought-after professionals in the business. Now, after weeks of speculation and rumors that he would be the perfect choice for our new Green Lantern, it appears that DC Studios bosses James Gunn and Peter Safran are in full agreement.
This afternoon, the exciting news finally arrived that DC Studios has signed Aaron Pierre to play fan-favorite character John Stewart in the upcoming HBO series, currently titled “Lanterns” (via The Hollywood Reporter). If he officially signed on the dotted line, it would end months of reports about which stars would face off against the series' two biggest heroes, with many of the hottest names likely vying to be the next John Stewart and Hal Jordan. DC once turned its attention to “Dune” star Josh Brolin before he passed away and ultimately gave the role to Kyle Chandler, taking on an older, grizzled mentor role for the young Green Lantern. Now, it's hard to imagine any fans being disappointed with Pierre stepping up and donning the legendary green suit.
More details below!
Aaron Pierre is our new John Stewart in HBO's Green Lantern series
Well over a decade after the ill-conceived “Green Lantern” film starring Ryan Reynolds flopped and put an end to any immediate plans for space cops on the big screen, the Corps is now welcoming its newest and exciting member. Aaron Pierre as John Stewart might seem like an obvious choice, given that he would inevitably land near the top of any list of promising black actors who could fit the role. But there's simply no arguing with the charisma or sheer physicality he brings to the scene. His work in “Rebel Ridge” speaks for itself, but you should definitely check out his stunning performance in the 2022 indie “Brother,” his lead role in Barry Jenkins’ “The Underground Railroad,” and, of course, his surprisingly subtle turn. as a mid-size sedan in “Old” as well. In fact, this won't even be Pierre's first DC role, technically speaking — that honor goes to his supporting appearance in the 2018 Superman prequel series on Syfy called “Krypton.”
Anyway, “Lanterns” is now taking shape nicely. With Pierre on board, he joins co-star Kyle Chandler in a cast that will inevitably be filled with many more names in the coming weeks. “Lanterns” itself comes from writers Chris Mundy (“Ozark”), Damon Lindelof (“Watchmen,” “Lost”) and DC Comics writer Tom King. While exact plot details are being kept under wraps, the series has been described as being inspired by “True Detective” in an Earth-bound story that will incorporate some sort of murder mystery.
No premiere date has been announced yet, but stay tuned to /Film for any and all “Lanterns” updates as they arrive!
