Aaron Pierre Cast as John Stewart in DC’s LANTERNS

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As a long-time comic book enthusiast who’s been following the DC Universe since the days of Superman comics, I can confidently say that the casting for John Stewart in the upcoming Lanterns series has me beyond excited! Aaron Pierre, with his exceptional performance in Rebel Ridge and Krypton, is a fantastic choice. I’ve been rooting for him ever since he played Mid-Sized Sedan in Old – it was a role that required as much depth as playing John Stewart does!

Casting is so important when it comes to iconic characters, naturally. It can make the difference between “Okay, we’ll see” and “Holy crap I’m so excited.” With the latest casting announcement for Max’s upcoming DC Studios series Lanterns, I’m definitely in the latter category. After already casting Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan, DC announced Aaron Pierre will costar as young Green Lantern John Stewart. Pierre had my personal vote for a while now. This only solidified after his outstanding turn in Jeremy Saulnier’s Netflix thriller Rebel Ridge.

In a warm Instagram announcement, James Gunn, one of the heads at DC Studios, extended a heartfelt welcome to Pierre, referring to him as a new addition to their creative family. He expressed his conviction that after a demanding and rigorous casting process, they had finally discovered an exceptional talent to portray John Stewart. It was reported that Pierre was among the final two candidates for the role, with Stephan James being the other contender, who is renowned for playing Jesse Owens in the biopic ‘Race’ and Congressman John Lewis in ‘Selma’.

Previously, Pierre portrayed Dev-Em in the Syfy/DC series ‘Krypton’ and was initially selected for an unspecified role in the ‘Blade’ movie by Marvel, but when the project underwent changes, the character he was to play was removed. Currently, he is no longer connected with that film at all. Notably, Pierre also acted as Mid-Sized Sedan in M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Old’.

The Lanterns show is one of the more intriguing of the nascent DCU under Gunn and Peter Safran. A prestige drama akin to a sci-fi True Detective, 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.”

Gunn has left his unique mark on the leadership of DC Studios, as evidenced by his initial announcements. I have a strong feeling that each of these is crucial to success. His highly anticipated Superman film could potentially rehabilitate the character for many fans who found the previous universe’s gloominess off-putting. Other projects such as Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow and Batman: The Brave and the Bold seem to be connected to this one Superman movie.

For me, Lanterns is maybe the second most important. It will bring the DCU onto television in weekly HBO style. The stink of the 2011 Green Lantern movie starring Ryan Reynolds still hasn’t fully worn off the title. This show has a real chance to do that, and Chandler and Pierre are perfect choices in that respect.

As a gaming enthusiast, I’m super excited! I’ll keep you posted with updates as soon as more details surface. Stay tuned!

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2024-10-09 20:32