James Gunn’s DCU to Cast Major New Superhero This Week

As more DC Studios projects prepare to begin production, castings from the superhero reboot have been flying, and another may be coming in the next week.

Just recently, fans have learned Kyle Chandler will board Lanterns as Hal Jordan while Matthias Schoenaerts joins Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow as a villain.

These come after several Justice League superheroes have already been cast in the DCU such as David Corenswet as Superman, Milly Alcock as Supergirl, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, and more.

DC Studios Prepares to Cast Another Green Lantern

As DC Studios reportedly gears up to begin shooting on HBO’s True Detective-inspired Lanterns series in January 2025, casting is underway for its leads.

On Monday, September 23, Lanterns recently found its Hal Jordan in the 56-year-old Friday Night Lights Emmy winner Kyle Chandler.

But he won’t be the only Green Lantern to lead the way in Lanterns as an older and experienced Hal Jordan will be paired off with recruit John Stewart.

And, according to The Hollywood Reporter, the search for John Stewart is nearing the end, with DC Studios down to two finalists and set to make a decision by the end of the week (Sunday, September 29).

The trade stated it is unclear whether the actors are down to reading or screen testing for the role, with Rebel Ridge sensation Aaron Pierre and The Piano Lesson actor Stephan James (both age 30) currently in the mix.

FX’s Snowfall star Damson Idris – who was once speculated to replace Jonathan Majors as the MCU’s Kang – was also reportedly among the candidates to play the Green Lantern but is “no longer in consideration.”

Either Pierre or James is expected to become to first actor to bring John Stewart to live-action after Zack Snyder cast Wayne T. Carr to play the role in Justice League, but ultimately his scenes were cut.

The CW’s Arrowverse also vaguely adapted Stewart in the form of John Diggle, who was teased to be based on the Green Lantern, even receiving a power ring at one point but never wearing it to wield the power.

Why DC Studios Casting Is Heating Up

James Gunn has long promised he will not cast for a movie or series until the script has been completed. As more time passes since the DC Studios slate was announced, an increasing number of scripts are getting finished and thus are lining up their casts.

Whoever is cast as the Lanterns‘ John Stewart is bound to have an important role to play in the DCU for many years to come.

After DC Studios cast a far older Hal Jordan, it became clear Stewart would be the DCU’s main Green Lantern who would lead the way in future projects and eventually join the Justice League. Many have even been quick to conclude Jordan could die or retire in Lanterns, clearing the way for Stewart.

If Aaron Pierre does land the role of the Emerald Knight, it will undeniably be a massive win for the actor who has been hot in Hollywood in recent weeks after strong reactions to his latest Netflix flick Rebel Ridge.

Some may be aware Aaron Pierre was once cast in a major role for Blade in February 2022.

But according to reports since then, the Rebel Ridge actor has departed the project as his character was removed from more recent evolutions of the Blade script.

Alternatively, many would be happy to see Stephan James join the DCU after his beloved performances in The Piano Lesson and Beacon 23.

If The Hollywood Reporter is to be believed, fans won’t be waiting long to discover who will play Lanterns‘ John Stewart, with a casting expected in the coming days.

Following that, DC Studios will undoubtedly be looking to fill more important roles for both Lanterns and Supergirl in the coming months before filming in early 2025.

Going beyond that into 2025 and later, fans can look forward to official news regarding Booster Gold, Batman, Swamp Thing, The Authority, and the Teen Titans, all of which are set to star in movies and shows.

Lanterns is expected to premiere on HBO and Max in 2026.