DC Studios has narrowed down its picks to play John Stewart in the upcoming Green Lantern series, Lanterns. TheShockNews includes Rebel Ridge’s Aaron Pierre and If Beale Street Could Talk‘s Stephan James. While Hal Jordan is typically seen as the most famous Green Lantern in comics, John Stewart is likely the character that most general audiences know due to his role in hit animated series like Justice League, Justice League Unlimited, and Static Shock. John Stewart was created by writer Dennis O’Neil and artist Neal Adams and made his first appearance in Green Lantern Vol. 2 #87 in December 1971. He was DC Comics’ first African-American superhero. Fans have been waiting for the character to make his live-action debut for years, and now it appears the casting search is nearly complete.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Aaron Pierre and Stephan James are both in the running to play John Stewart in Lanterns. Pierre has recently made a splash with his role in Rebel Ridge and will voice Young Mufasa in this year’s upcoming Mufasa: The Lion King. Pierre is no stranger to the DC Universe, having played the role of Dev-Em in the short-lived series Krypton. Stephan James is best known for his roles in Homecoming, Race, and the critically acclaimed 2018 film If Beale Street Could Talk. He currently stars in the Prime Video sci-fi series Beacon 23. Snowfall‘s Damson Idris was also being considered, but according to THR, he is no longer in the running.
John Stewart Will Be the Central Green Lantern of the DCU
Casting for Lanterns is starting to take shape. Kyle Chandler was cast as Hal Jordan earlier this week. That shortlist included Josh Brolin, Matthew McConaughey, and Ewan McGregor, so it is worth noting that while Pierre and James are both being considered for John Stewart, another name not mentioned could land the role – similar to Chandler with Hal Jorrdan. The role of John Stewart might be a very important one for the DC Universe moving forward. It was previously reported that while Chandler will play Hal Jordan in Lanterns, his contract does not have a movie clause, with many theorizing that Hal might die, and John Stewart will be the main Green Lantern of James Gunn’s DCU.
With Isabela Merced playing Hawkgirl in Superman, it seems that James Gunn might be crafting a Justice League roster very similar to the animated series, which established a romantic relationship between the two characters. That might explain why the John Stewart casting is skewing younger, not only to establish Hal Jordan as the veteran cop to the young rookie John Stewart, but also to build the romantic relationship between John Stewart and Hawkgirl. Casting news should be finalized soon as Lanterns is looking to begin filming in 2025, likely aiming for a 2026 premiere date on HBO. There is a good chance that, within the next few days, we’ll find out exactly who is playing John Stewart in the DCU.