THE FANDOM ZONE 362: "The Weenie" Is Up!

 
"You had one shot to get the guy and you whiffed. If Zoe hadn't called me, you'd be beyond fucked."
"I live in beyond fucked."
"Jesus. What is that, a catchphrase?"
-- Sheriff Kerry Kane and Hal Jordan, Lanterns: "The Weenie"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back with a new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we're joined by special guest Jesse Jackson to discuss "The Weenie", the fourth episode of Lanterns, featuring Kyle Chandler as Green Lantern/Hal Jordan, Aaron Pierre as John Stewart, Garret Dillahunt as William Macon, and Poorna Jagannathan as Zoe Macon!

In this episode, DJ Nik, Jesse and I talk about things like Nik skipping Batman Day to work a country music festival, the elephant in the room, this episode being the first time Hal and John start working together, Jason Manuel Olazabal appearing on both Dexter and Castle, some comics background on Hector Hammond and Ch'p, the definition of the "weenie" design term popularized by Walt Disney, Jesse's anecdote about finding nothing in Cinderella's Castle, Sinestro manipulating Hal to see John as a replacement threat, Hal being the Clarice Starling to Sinestro's Dr. Hannibal Lecter, John having to buy a rifle just to get the scope he wanted, John explaining to Hal about the Weenie, the Rushville Bar & Grill being completely empty, Lianna negging John about being too weak and lacking courage to be a Green Lantern, wondering why Lianna doesn't just take the ring from Hal, John debating in his head about whether he should say the oath, that awkward moment when Will Macon asks John to draw him in the nude, John telling Zoe that everyone (including her) is lying to him, the big revelation about Zoe, Hal not talking to the other Green Lanterns, the slaughterhouse black portal being just like the black portal used in John Stewart's abandoned shopping mall interview, my theory that Zoe and Lianna are the same Manhunter, Hal not buying the fake Hector Hammond misdirection, John falling victim to Hal's signature move of diving out of a speeding car yet again, our favorite quotes of the episode, new Fandom Zone Fan Mail from Dave Proctor, Ken from Chicago and Aaron Case, my story for DC Comics' upcoming Christmas anthology DC's Naughty List, Jesse returning for at least an hour or so, and more! 

You can check out episodes of The Fandom Zone using...

Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Direct Download MP3s/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on Facebook -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on X/Twitter -- @FandomZoneCast
The Fandom Zone on Instagram -- HERE

And if that isn't enough for you, you can pick up an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing from TeePublic HERE as well! Show your Fandom Zone fandom by posting a picture on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back next week when DJ Nik and I are joined by special guest Jesse Jackson to discuss "Lights Out", the fifth episode of Lanterns, on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

THE FANDOM ZONE 361: "OutKast" Is Up!

 
"Would you be comfortable replacing Hal Jordan? With the understanding that he would be under the impression that you are simply his backup."
"Are those my orders?"
If you get the job, yes, those would be your orders."
"Well, then it doesn't matter if I'm comfortable with it."
-- Lianna and John Stewart, Lanterns: "OutKast"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back with a new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we discuss "OutKast", the third episode of Lanterns, featuring Aaron Pierre as John Stewart, J. Alphonse Nicholson as John Stewart Sr., and introducing Laura Linney as Lianna and Jasmine Cephas Jones as Bernadette Stewart!

In this episode, DJ Nik and I talk about things like Nik celebrating Inter Milan's 3-2 comeback over Napoli, the risk of interrupting the flow of the mystery with John's backstory, writer Vanessa Baden Kelly taking major liberties with John Stewart's secret origin, Hal Jordan making racist comments in John's first appearance in Green Lantern (vol.2) #87, Bernadette Stewart making her own racist comments, some comics background on the Guardians of the Universe and Lianna, the two OutKast songs featured in this episode, Lianna leaving John to wait all night in her office before interviewing him, wondering if the Guardians watched The Matrix before deciding how to recruit people, Baby John watching his father fail being selected as Abin Sur's replacement, Bernadette seeing Liana shift into her Guardian form and inviting her inside for coffee, Lianna realizing Baby John has the potential to be a Green Lantern, Bernadette's experiences making her upset at the Guardians for not seeing differences in skin color, Outback Steak House being the Australian version of Olive Garden, John showing up in full military dress uniform for an undercover meeting, Bernadette's secret pact with John Sr. about their baby son's future, John's parents being like Michael Jackson and Tiger Woods' fathers, 5-year-old John getting a Green Lantern costume and a rifle instead of the box of crayons that he wanted, John's parents rewarding John with cheeseburgers for passing the "William Tell" tests, John never getting the affection from his parents that his older brothers received, John making his mother experience the "William Tell" test instead of his father, John spending nine months in his sniper's nest to wait for his target only to have Hal Jordan swoop in and take his target away, John manifesting the inner workings of a watch like Dr. Manhattan, Nik providing balance between the darkness and the light, the Guardians looking to get rid of Hal Jordan, wondering how Hal was able to steal John's big moment of telling his parents that he finally got the Green Lantern job, our favorite quotes of the episode, new Fandom Zone Fan Mail from Jesse Jackson, Dave Proctor and Aaron Case, my story for DC Comics' upcoming Christmas anthology DC's Naughty List, looking forward to more of Sinestro, and more! 

You can check out episodes of The Fandom Zone using...

Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Direct Download MP3s/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on Facebook -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on X/Twitter -- @FandomZoneCast
The Fandom Zone on Instagram -- HERE

And if that isn't enough for you, you can pick up an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing from TeePublic HERE as well! Show your Fandom Zone fandom by posting a picture on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back next week when DJ Nik and I discuss "The Weenie", the fourth episode of Lanterns, on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

THE FANDOM ZONE 360: "Trust Fall" Is Up!

 
"What the hell's all over the seats?"
"I believe, uh, technically they call that alien goo."
-- John Stewart and Hal Jordan, Lanterns: "Trust Fall"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back with a new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we discuss "Trust Fall", the second episode of Lanterns, featuring Kyle Chandler as Green Lantern/Hal Jordan, Aaron Pierre as John Stewart, and introducing Paul Ben-Victor as Antaan and Ulrich Thomsen as Thaal Sinestro!

In this episode, DJ Nik and I talk about things like Nik traveling across America via Lanterns, Paul Ben-Victor as Moe Howard in the 2000 Three Stooges biopic, the second episode expanding the show's cosmic lore, some comics background on the Manhunters and Sinestro, Hal's password reference to the Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons story "Mogo Doesn't Socialize", Hal dumping a bucket of ice water on John to wake him up, wondering why Hal didn't bring his Power Battery with him to Rushville, John manifesting a bird construct instead of flying, Hal removing the front bumper from his rental car to test a metal detector, Hal crashing a Rushville town meeting, the sexual tension between Sheriff Kane and Hal Jordan, John learning that Hal lives in an elaborate mansion that's practically empty, John feeding Hal's carnivorous plant Earl Jordan, John trying to escape from kidnappers by jumping out of a van onto a busy freeway, Hal using alien corpses to test an alien detector, that awkward moment when Hal gets pulled over by Sheriff Kane with three alien corpses in his car, John meeting Antaan and learning about the Manhunters, fan theories about Antaan possibly being the Red Lantern Atrocitus, Hal waking up in the creepy Rushville Medical Center that has no other patients and has a bunch of brand-new medical equipment still under plastic wrap, my theory that the entire townspeople of Rushville are Manhunters except for Sheriff Kane and her son, a possible connection between Sheriff Kane and Batwoman, my theory that Zoe Macon is the Grandmaster of the Manhunters, the possible explanation for why Abin Sur needed a spaceship, John dismissing his bird construct as "just a bird", Hal leaving Earth to confront Sinestro, our favorite quotes of the episode, new Fandom Zone Fan Mail from Jesse Jackson, Dave Proctor and Aaron Case, my story for DC Comics' upcoming Christmas anthology DC's Naughty List, the upcoming first appearance of a Guardian of the Universe on Lanterns, and more! 

You can check out episodes of The Fandom Zone using...

Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Direct Download MP3s/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on Facebook -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on X/Twitter -- @FandomZoneCast
The Fandom Zone on Instagram -- HERE

And if that isn't enough for you, you can pick up an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing from TeePublic HERE as well! Show your Fandom Zone fandom by posting a picture on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back next week when DJ Nik and I discuss "OutKast", the third episode of Lanterns, on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

THE FANDOM ZONE 359: "Lanterns" Is Up!

 
"Me, I'd be pissed off. Disappearing for two weeks, no explanation, show up hungover, and late. Come on, you gotta be a little angry."
"No, sir."
"Mildly perturbed?"
"No, sir."
"How come it is every time you say 'sir', it sounds more and more like 'Fuck you'?"
"I have no idea. Sir."
-- Hal Jordan and John Stewart, Lanterns: "Pilot"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back with a new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we're joined by special guest Jesse Jackson to discuss "Pilot", the first episode of the HBO Max series Lanterns, introducing Kyle Chandler as Green Lantern/Hal Jordan, Aaron Pierre as John Stewart, Kelly Macdonald as Sheriff Kerry Kane, and Garret Dillahunt as William Macon!

In this episode, DJ Nik, Jesse and I talk about things like Nik and I comparing our driving skills, Jesse being a backseat driver and being ready to throw down, Lanterns being very similar to the HBO series True Detective, DC Comics writer Tom King writing for the series, director James Hawes directing episodes of Doctor Who, Aaron Pierre as Dev-Em on Krypton, our love of Kelly Macdonald, some comics background on Hal Jordan and John Stewart, DC Studios going with John Stewart as Green Lantern going forward, John Stewart Sr. playing William Tell with John Jr., why John's dad didn't want John watching 60 Minutes, John meeting the "Halogram" from 2006, Hal slow rolling John's training, Hal's stupid plan involving playing "Brand New Key" by Melanie over and over on the jukebox, John's awkward sex scene with Zoe Macon, John being very observant about details, Hal not impressing the judge at his arraignment hearing, that awkward moment when John realizes he had sex with William Macon's wife, William Macon's mysterious benefactor probably being Lex Luthor, the interrogation scene with Hal and secret alien Waylon Sanders, wondering what happened to Hal's Power Battery to recharge his ring, whether Hal is really dead in 2026, our favorite quotes of the episode, new Fandom Zone Fan Mail from Jesse Jackson, Dave Proctor and Aaron Case, my popping the David Lynch cherry on Nik's Gold Standard: The Oscars Podcast, some news about my upcoming story for DC's upcoming Christmas anthology DC's Naughty List, and more! 

You can check out episodes of The Fandom Zone using...

Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Direct Download MP3s/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on Facebook -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on X/Twitter -- @FandomZoneCast
The Fandom Zone on Instagram -- HERE

And if that isn't enough for you, you can pick up an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing from TeePublic HERE as well! Show your Fandom Zone fandom by posting a picture on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back next week when DJ Nik and I discuss "Trust Fall", the second episode of Lanterns, on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

LANTERNS Comic-Con Trailer Teases Guy Gardner, Sinestro, and the Manhunters

 
John Stewart is the backup quarterback...for now.

As expected, a new trailer for HBO Max's upcoming DC Studios TV series Lanterns made its debut earlier today at the Lanterns panel in Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con 2026, showing a lot more green and broadening the scope of the series far beyond the small town of Rushville, Nebraska.

The 3-minute trailer opens with Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) sneaking into the room of John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) while he's sleeping and throwing cold water on him. "It's time to get up, Junior," drawls Hal.

We cut to a woman in a Rushville bar, who says to John, "So, you're a space cop." John replies, "No, I'm just being trained."

Next, Hal continues to instruct John in using his Green Lantern Power Ring. "All right, new lesson," remarks Hal as they stand in the middle of a parking lot. "Take the ring, you fly."

"Just fly?" asks John.

Hal shakes his head and answers, "I'm sorry. Fly, please."

John concentrates hard, but nothing happens until a light construct of a small bird materializes in the air and then lands on John's shoulder.

We go back to the woman in the bar, who observes, "You're the backup quarterback."

"For now," replies John.

As "Beside You in Time" from Nine Inch Nails begins to play, things get more serious. Hal lands in a remote town and finds a series of spent bullet casings near a bar. John asks in a voiceover, "What do you think is going on?"

"It's no accident we're here," Hal replies in a voiceover as he comes across a body.

In a separate scene, we go a high school football field, where we see another body having a sheet placed over it as Hal and John watch. "These victims are gonna end up being alien," Hal remarks. 

Sheriff Kerry Macon (Kelly Macdonald) asks, "Based on what?"

"I have a feeling."

Sheriff Macon feigns a gasp. "He has a feeling."

Later, we see John driving a car with Hal in the passenger seat. "I think this is more than a feeling," remarks John in a voiceover.

We cut to Garret Dillahunt as William Macon, who says, "This is a threat no one's ever seen before."

Back to the bar, Hal goes inside, finding more bodies before rapid gunfire suddenly erupts. Reflexively, he throws up a shield construct around his body as protection.

In another scene, John and Hal are back in the parking lot, this time at night. "What do you know about Manhunters?" asks John.

Hal replies, "Where'd you hear that word?"

We then head out into space as we see Hal and John on an alien world, finding an alien skull in the dust. A voiceover from a character called Antaan (Paul Ben-Victor) says, "Manhunters are the most dangerous beings to ever exist in the galaxy, and they can take the form of any species."

As we see a Manhunter shapeshift, John remarks in another scene, "So, it could be anyone?"

Another Green Lantern, Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), warns Hal, "He's gonna send an army to put you down."

After we see a construct formed to dig into the ground, an unnamed character played by Laura Linney asks John, "Do you resent Hal Jordan?"

"The ring's always been mine," says John. "Jordan's just keeping it warm."

We travel to an alien prison, where Hal, now wearing his Green Lantern uniform, confronts his arch-enemy, Sinestro (Ulrich Thomsen). Inside his cell, Sinestro tells Hal, "You don't really believe he's your backup, do you, Hal?"

"No," admits Hal.

"Then say what he actually is."

"My replacement."

We see John charging his Power Ring with the Power Battery, then briefly see him in his own Green Lantern uniform, launching upwards into the sky.

A series of fleeting images follows as Hal recites the Green Lantern Corps oath, "In brightest day...in blackest night...no evil shall escape my sight. Let those who worship evil's might, beware my power, Green Lantern's light."

In the trailer's final scene, Hal pulls out a bottle of beer and offers it to Sheriff Macon. Using his ring, he creates a construct of a bottle opener and opens the bottle for her in smooth flourish.

If you'd like to check out the new Lanterns trailer, you can view it below thanks to the official HBO Max account on YouTube...

Lanterns premieres August 16, 2026 on HBO Max.

LANTERNS Teaser Trailer Features Green Lanterns as True Detectives

In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape their sight...

HBO has released the first teaser trailer for Lanterns, the upcoming superhero drama series from DC Studios based on DC Comics' Green Lantern characters Hal Jordan and John Stewart. The series will consist of eight episodes.

Lanterns centers around Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and new recruit John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) as they investigate a murder. As Green Lanterns, the two are intergalactic peacekeepers that wear emerald rings giving them the power to create green light constructs of any shape or size. The two must use their abilities to uncover a dark mystery and a reckoning that could destroy them all.

Other cast members include Kelly Macdonald as Kerry Macon, a small-town sheriff; Nathan Fillion reprising his Superman (2025) role as Guy Gardner; Garret Dillahunt as William Macon, a modern-day cowboy who hides his "self-righteous, conspiracy-minded" personality behind a charming façade; Poorna Jagannathan as Zoe, a composed and cunning woman; Ulrich Thomsen as Sinestro, a former member of the Green Lantern Corps gone rogue; Nicole Ari Parker as Bernadette Stewart, John’s mother; and Jason Ritter as Billy Macon, Kerry’s husband.

The two-minute teaser opens with Hal and Kyle driving down a lonely road. "With all due respect," begins John, "we've been training for what, two months, and I haven't even worn the ring yet."

"Don't get hung up on the jewelry, junior," replies Hal with a twang in his voice. "You're just a fuckin' substitute teacher. You're not ready to get up in front of the class until the ring says you are." Hal places his Green Lantern power ring on the dashboard, then says "But alright..." before opening the car door and jumping out before the car heads over a cliff with John still inside.

Next, we see that John has presumably mastered the ring enough to survive as he walks back up the road to a slow clap from Hal, who found a place to eat outdoors. "I could have died," John tells him.

"You wanted me to train you, I'm trainin' you," replies Hal.

Later, Hal and Kyle drive into a small town that appears deserted. "Something is off here," observes Hal. "I can feel it."

Hal and Kyle then enter a large town hall meeting that includes Sheriff Kerry Macon. "This is my town," she tells Hal, "and you're a big shot, noted..."

As we see Paul Ben-Victor as Antaan, a humanoid extraterrestrial, Sheriff Macon continues, "...but stay out of my way."

"I think she hates your guts," observes John.

"It's the way she hates 'em," adds Hal.

Later, in a bar, John remarks, "This is a stupid plan."

"It gets stupider," replies Hal.

"That I don't doubt."

Next, we see a brief shot of Hal's Green Lantern uniform hanging in a closet. "The Green Lanterns' oath is to protect people," remarks John, "and we both know I do a better job of this than you."

"This is my job," counters Hal, "and as long as I'm alive, that ain't changin'..."

We get a brief glimpse of William Macon on a horse. "...so take a deep breath, junior," continues Hal.

"You're old. You're tired..." begins John as we see glimpses of someone parachuting out of the back of a cargo plane, Hal flying off into the sky, and John holding a Green Lantern power battery to recharge his ring. "...and you're time is up."

Fleeting images follow before we see Hal talking with Billy Macon in an interrogation room. "I don't understand," says Billy. "Who are you exactly?"

Hal smiles and responds "Hal Jordan, Green Lantern" before throwing Billy into the one-way mirror and across the room before aiming his power ring. 

In the teaser trailer's final scene, Hal and John are driving at night and John asks, "Have you ever talked with the other Lanterns?"

"I'm the only human. They're aliens. One of 'em is a fuckin' squirrel," he replies, possibly referencing the Green Lantern known as Ch'p.

If you'd like to see the teaser trailer for Lanterns, you can view it below thanks to the official HBO account on YouTube...

Lanterns is expected to premiere on HBO in August.

LANTERNS Casts Ulrich Thomsen as Sinestro

 
Ulrich Thomsen, you have the ability to instill great fear.

Deadline has reported that the upcoming HBO series Lanterns, based on the DC Comics Green Lantern characters, has cast Ulrich Thomsen as the supervillain Sinestro. Thomsen joins Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan, Aaron Pierre as John Stewart, Kelly Macdonald as Sheriff Kerry, Garret Dillahunt as William Macon, and Poorna Jagannathan as Zoe.

The article describes Sinestro as "a former Green Lantern who turned rogue and is described as ruthless yet undeniably charming. Sinestro’s manipulative nature drives his enduring obsession with his former mentee, Hal Jordan."

Lanterns 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.

Thomsen, 61, is a Danish actor probably best known as Kai Proctor in the Cinemax series Banshee. He's appeared in the films The World Is Not Enough, Kingdom of Heaven, Hitman, and The Thing (2011). In addition, he's appeared in episodes of Alias, Fringe, The Blacklist, and The New Pope.

Created in 1961 by John Broome and Gil Kane, Sinestro first appeared in Green Lantern (vol.2) #7 as Thaal Sinestro, who was born on the planet Korugar in space sector 1417. His dedication to preserving order originally manifested in his previous career, an anthropologist specializing in the reconstruction of ancient Korugan civilizations. One day, Green Lantern Prohl Gosgotha crash-landed near him, injured and apparently dying. Prohl gave his ring to Sinestro, who barely understood what to do with it before coming under attack from the Lantern's pursuer, a Weaponer of Qward. In the end, Sinestro had to destroy the ruins he was restoring to crush the Qwardian. Afterwards, Gosgotha turned out to still be alive and asked for his ring back so he could summon help. Addicted to the ring's immense power, Sinestro let him die and convinced the Guardians that the ring chose him as Gosgotha's successor.

When Hal Jordan joined the Green Lantern Corps, Sinestro, now a seasoned and respected Lantern, was assigned to be his instructor. Jordan was horrified at his new mentor's totalitarian methods, though Sinestro maintained that he was only doing what he considered necessary to protect Korugar. During his training, Jordan helped Sinestro repel an attempted invasion by the alien warlords known as the Khunds. When Jordan disobeyed orders and contacted the Lanterns for help, Sinestro's dictatorship was exposed, and he was forced to appear before the Guardians for punishment.

For using the power of the Green Lantern to instill fear rather than combat it, the Guardians banished Sinestro to the antimatter world of Qward, that universe's counterpart of the Guardians' homeworld Oa. Qward was ruled by the Weaponers of Qward, a race of warriors and scientists that hold a fierce hatred of the Guardians and all Green Lanterns. However, Sinestro quickly seized the opportunity, persuading the Weaponers that he could use his knowledge of the Corps to destroy them for good. Creating a yellow power ring for Sinestro to use, the Weaponers sent him back to the "positive matter" universe to seek revenge. Sinestro quickly became the Green Lantern Corps' most powerful nemesis, partially due to a weakness in their power rings that prevented them from directly affecting the color yellow. Despite this, skilled Green Lanterns like Jordan, Sinestro's most hated enemy, always found ways to defeat him.

Thomsen will be the third actor to portray Sinestro in live-action, after Charlie Callas in the TV special Legends of the Superheroes and Mark Strong in the 2011 film Green Lantern. 

Lanterns is expected to debut on HBO sometime in 2026.

LANTERNS Casts Kyle Chandler & Aaron Pierre as Green Lanterns Hal Jordan & John Stewart

 
In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape their sight.

Deadline has confirmed that the upcoming HBO TV series Lanterns, based on DC Comics' Green Lantern characters, has cast Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre as John Stewart.

According to the article, Lanterns "follows new recruit John Stewart (Pierre) and Lantern legend Hal Jordan (Chandler), two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, Earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland."

The eight-episode series is from Ozark’s Chris Mundy, Watchmen‘s Damon Lindelof and comic book writer Tom King. Mundy will serve as showrunner, while Lindelof and King are co-writing and executive producing. James Hawes will direct the first two episodes and also service as executive producer.

Chandler, 59, is best known as Eric Taylor on the NBC series Friday Night Lights and has appeared in the films, King Kong (2005), The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008), Super 8, Argo, Zero Dark Thirty, The Wolf of Wall Street, Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019), and Godzilla vs. Kong.

Pierre, 30, is an English actor probably best known as Dev-Em on the DC Comics TV series Krypton. In addition, he'll be voicing Mufasa in the upcoming film Mufasa: The Lion King and appeared in the Amazon Prime Video miniseries The Underground Railroad.

Created in 1959 by John Broome and Gil Kane, Hal Jordan first appeared in Showcase #22 as Harold "Hal" Jordan, a test pilot for Ferris Aircraft who was selected by the dying Green Lantern Abin Sur to become his successor. Given a power ring and Green Lantern battery, which, in the hands of someone capable of overcoming great fear, he became able to channel his willpower into creating all manner of fantastic constructs. As Green Lantern, Hal fought crime on Earth, eventually joining the intergalactic police force called the Green Lantern Corps, and became a founding member of the Justice League.

Chandler will be the third actor to portray Hal Jordan in live action, after Howard Murphy in the 1978 TV special Legends of the Superheroes and Ryan Reynolds in the 2011 film Green Lantern.

Created in 1971 by Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams, John Stewart first appeared in Green Lantern (vol.2) #87 as an architect, later "retconned" into a veteran U.S. Marine from Detroit, Michigan, who was selected by the Guardians as a backup Green Lantern to then-current Green Lantern Hal Jordan after the previous backup, Guy Gardner, was seriously injured after getting hit by a car while trying to save a civilian. Although Jordan objected to the decision after seeing that Stewart had a belligerent attitude to authority figures, the Guardians stood by their decision and chided Jordan for his supposed bigoted outlook on the issue. After stopping a gunman from killing a police officer and observing that a politician had staged the attack for political advantage, Jordan concluded that Stewart was an excellent recruit and had proven his worth.

Pierre will be the first actor to portray John Stewart in live action, although the character has appeared in various animated projects such as Justice League Unlimited (voiced by Phil LaMarr) and Green Lantern: Beware My Power (voiced by Aldis Hodge).

Lanterns is expected to be released on HBO sometime in 2025.

DC Studios Announces "Chapter One" Slate of DC Universe Film & TV Projects

 
A time of gods and monsters is about to begin.

Earlier today, DC Studios officially announced its first slate of ten interconnected projects, comprising five movies and five HBO Max TV series. Filmmaker James Gunn and producer Peter Safran, now serving as Co-Chairmen and CEOs of DC Studios, stated that all ten of them are set within the same shared universe and will frequently share characters. However, there will be films set outside the shared continuity—such as the previously announced Joker: Folie à Deux from director Todd Phillips and Matt Reeves’ upcoming The Batman Part II.

"The DCU’s a multiverse," explained Safran, "but we’re going to be focusing on one universe from that multiverse. And if something isn’t DCU, we’re going to make that very clear. So, strictly adult fare like Todd Phillips’ Joker, or kids animation like Teen Titans Go!, we’re going to make it very clear that those are DC Elseworlds, just the same way that they do it in the comic books."

While all ten projects are in active development, some are further along than others and both Gunn and Safran emphasize that plans may change. "What we’re starting with today is the first part of the first chapter of our universe," Safran remarked. "That first chapter’s called ‘Gods and Monsters.’ Many of the following projects are already being worked on, but we’re remaining flexible and we’re going to adjust because we’re never going to put a project into production before the script is right. This is a general timeline, but there will be flexibility within it."

And here are the first ten projects from DC Studios...

Creature Commandos -- Based on the team of military superhumans that first appeared in Weird War Tales #93 in 1980, this will be the first TV series from DC Studios, an animated project written by Gunn that will consist of seven episodes. In the image above (from left to right), the team will feature Rick Flag, Sr., Nina Mazursky. Doctor Phosphorus, Frankenstein, The Bride of Frankenstein, G.I. Robot, and Weasel (from Gunn's DC film The Suicide Squad).

Waller -- Set between Seasons One and Two of HBO Max's Peacemaker series, Waller will feature the return of Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, who was last seen watching a broadcast of her daughter Leota Adebayo exposing Task Force X and Project Butterfly to the public, as well as Waller's involvement in both programs.

According to Gunn, Waller is "also going to have some of the Peacemaker team in it as regulars on the show." The series has tapped Jeremy Carver, creator of the acclaimed TV adaptation of DC's Doom Patrol, along with Watchmen limited series writer Christal Henry.

Superman: Legacy -- Safran stated this new Superman feature film will be the launch of the DCU and is being written by Gunn, with hopes that he will also direct it. "It’s not an origin story," he remarked. "It focuses on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. Superman represents truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old fashioned."

Superman: Legacy is slated to arrive in theaters on July 11, 2025.

Lanterns -- This HBO Max series replaces the previous Green Lantern TV series developed by Greg Berlanti and will feature DC Comics characters Hal Jordan and John Stewart. Safran stated the series will be "more of a True Detective-type mystery with our two Lanterns. A terrestrial-based mystery—"

"-- that leads into the overall story that we’re telling throughout the different movies and television shows," finished Gunn. "We find this ancient horror on Earth, and these guys are basically supercops on 'Precinct Earth.'" The series will weave back and forth between DCU films and television shows, similar to Peacemaker.

The Authority -- Based on the superhero team from DC's WildStorm imprint that debuted in 1999's The Authority (vol.1) #1, the live-action film is a passion project for Gunn and will be a "very different kind of superhero story. They are basically good-intentioned, but they think that the world is completely broken and the only way to fix it is to take things into their own hands, whether that means killing people, destroying heads of state, changing governments—basically, whatever they want to do to make the world better. We’ll see how that journey goes for them."

Paradise Lost -- According to Safran, this HBO Max series is set before the birth of Wonder Woman and will be "a Game of Thrones-type story about Themyscira/Paradise Island, home of the Amazons and the birthplace of Wonder Woman. This involves all of the darkness, drama and political intrigue behind this society of only women."

Gunn added, "It’s an origin story of how this society of women came about. What does it mean? What are their politics like? What are their rules? Who’s in charge? What are the games that they play with each other to get to the top? I think it’s really exciting."

The Brave and the Bold -- This live-action film will be the introduction of the DCU's Batman, who will be played by someone other than Robert Pattinson and Ben Affleck.

Gunn remarked the film will be "a story of Damian Wayne, who’s Batman’s actual son that he didn’t know existed for the first eight to ten years of his life. He was raised as a little murderer and assassin. He’s my favorite Robin. It’s based on the Grant Morrison comic run, which is one of my favorite Batman runs."

Safran added, "This is going to feature other members of the extended Bat-Family. Just because we feel like they’ve been left out of the Batman stories in the theater for far too long."

Booster Gold -- The glory-seeking superhero that debuted in 1986's Booster Gold (vol.1) #1 will get his own HBO Max Tv series and is described by Safran as "a loser from the future who uses his basic future technology to come back to today to pretend to be a superhero."

Gunn added, "I think of it as basically the story of a superhero’s imposter syndrome. How do you deal with that? (It’s about) how he tries to use this future technology to be loved by the people of today and what is really at the base of that. It’s a character story that’s going to be a very different type of show, and we’re talking to an actor about it now."

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow -- Based on the 2021 limited series by Tom King and Bilquis Evely, this live-action film has had input from King along with four or five other writers.

Gunn remarked, "In our story, we have Superman who was sent to Earth and raised by incredibly loving parents. Kara was on Krypton. She was on a piece of Krypton that drifted away from the planet and she lived there for the first fourteen years of her life in a horrible situation where she watched everyone around her die. So, she’s a much harsher and more fucked-up Supergirl than you’ve been used to thus far."

Swamp Thing -- The final project announced for "Chapter One" will be a live-action film that will investigate the dark origins of DC's plant elemental Swamp Thing in the character's first film since 1989's The Return of Swamp Thing.

Although low on details, Safran commented, "We bring it up because it’s important to point out that in these stories, although they’re interconnected, they’re not all tonally the same. Each set of filmmakers bring their own aesthetic to these films, and the fun is seeing how these tonally different works mash up in the future."

GREEN LANTERN HBO Max Series Casts Finn Wittrock as Guy Gardner

 
Guy Gardner has officially been cast.  Wanna make somethin' of it?

Deadline is reporting that the upcoming HBO Max series Green Lantern has cast Finn Wittrock as Guy Gardner, a key member of DC Comics' interstellar law enforcement agency, the Green Lantern Corps.

According to the article, Guy is described as "a hulking mass of masculinity, and, as rendered in the comics, an embodiment of 1980s hyper-patriotism.  And yet, Guy is somehow likable."

Written by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim and Seth Grahame-Smith, Green Lantern reinvents the classic DC property through a story spanning decades and galaxies, beginning on Earth in 1941 with the very first Green Lantern, secretly gay FBI agent Alan Scott, and 1984, with cocky alpha male Guy Gardner and half-alien Bree Jarta.  They’ll be joined by a multitude of other Lanterns — from comic book favorites to never-before-seen heroes.

Wittrock, 36, is best known for his various roles on the FX horror anthology series American Horror Story, including Dandy Mott, Tristan Duffy, Rudolph Valentino, Jether Polk, and Bobby Richter.  His film appearances include La La Land, If Beale Street Could Talk, The Big Short, and Winter's Tale, while his other TV appearances include Torchwood: Miracle Day, Ratched, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, Masters of Sex, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Criminal Minds, and All My Children.

Created in 1968 by John Broome and Gil Kane, Guy Gardner first appeared in Green Lantern (vol.2) #59.  Guy's father, Roland Gardner, was an abusive alcoholic who beat Guy every day.  Some of Guy's injuries were visible such as bruises, cuts and bumps but others were invisible and were emotionally inflicted.  Guy worked hard in school to try to win his father's approval, but Roland instead lavished attention and compliments upon Guy's older brother, Mace.  During his mid-teens, Guy became a juvenile delinquent, constantly defying authority.  Later, he was straightened out by his older brother, Mace, who was now a police officer.  Guy eventually went to college, supporting himself, and earned bachelor's degrees in education and psychology from the University of Michigan, where he also played football until a career-ending injury that deeply affected him.  After college, Guy worked as a social welfare caseworker, dealing with prison inmates and their rehabilitation.  He abandoned this line of work, however, fearing it brought out his aggressive nature.  Moving on, he became a teacher for children with disabilities.

The appointed Green Lantern of Space Sector 2814, an alien named Abin Sur from the planet Ungara, crash-landed on Earth after being mortally wounded.  As Sur died, his power ring sought and found two potential successors, Guy Gardner and Hal Jordan.  Jordan was nearer to the crash, so he was chosen over Gardner.  Gardner was relegated to backup status should anything happen to Jordan.  When Jordan became aware of Gardner's status as his backup, he went out of his way to set up a chance meeting, and the two became friends. Though Gardner was originally oblivious to Jordan's secret identity, he eventually assisted Jordan during his adventures.  During an earthquake, Gardner was hit by a bus while attempting to rescue one of his students.  During his recovery, the Guardians recruited John Stewart to become Jordan's new "backup".

During the event known as Crisis on Infinite Earths, the Guardians of the Universe split into two factions over how to confront the Crisis.  A minority faction of six Guardians emulated their former brethren, the Controllers, by recruiting a Green Lantern to directly attack and destroy the forces of the antimatter universe.  For reasons unknown, Gardner was brought in by the renegade Guardians, given a power ring not tied to the Central Power Battery on Oa, sporting a uniform similar to that worn by the Fists of the Guardians, and given a mission.  He was to recruit and command the deadliest and most powerful criminals in the universe, including the Shark, Hector Hammond, Sonar, Throttle, Blindside, and Goldface, to launch a strike against the home base of the Anti-Monitor.  

By this time, Gardner had suffered brain damage from being hit by the bus and other various previous events, which manifested itself in the form of an arrogant, violent, unstable, and often childish new personality.  Gardner believed himself to be the last "true" Green Lantern, superior to all the others, particularly Jordan.  Five of the renegade Guardians were slain by a wave of antimatter, and the sixth eventually reconciled with the rest of the Guardians.  In the meantime, Gardner succeeded in his task of recruiting powerful villains. Both Hal Jordan and John Stewart prevented Gardner from completing his mission, which would have ultimately destroyed the universe.  Following the Crisis, the majority of the Green Lantern Corps had lost their rings.  The Guardians assigned Gardner to be the official Green Lantern of Sector 2814, becoming a member of the reformed Justice League, while Jordan was assigned to recruit new Corps members.

Recently, Gardner was sent by Hal Jordan to join the Red Lantern Corps undercover, defeating Atrocitus and taking command of the group.  It was revealed that part of his decision to join with the Red Lanterns was feeling as if he had never fit in as a Green Lantern.  As a Red Lantern, Gardner managed to keep his rage in check, successfully leading most of the Red Lanterns.  After joining with the Green Lanterns to defeat the cosmic terrorist Relic, Gardner has since returned to the Green Lantern Corps.

Wittrock will be the second actor to portray Guy Gardner in live-action, after Matthew Settle in the failed 1997 CBS TV pilot Justice League of America.  The character has also appeared in various animated projects, including Batman: The Brave and the Bold (voiced by James Arnold Taylor), Young Justice (voiced by Troy Baker), Green Lantern: The Animated Series (voiced by Diedrich Bader), and Superman: Red Son (voiced by Jim Meskimen).

Green Lantern is expected to premiere on HBO Max sometime in 2022.

HBO Max's GREEN LANTERN Gets Series Order & Showrunner

 
The Green Lantern Corps has the greenlight.

Variety has reported that HBO Max has given a series order for Green Lantern, based on the DC Comics superheroes.  First announced in development last October, Green Lantern will join Doom Patrol, Titans and Harley Quinn, which were recently brought over to HBO Max from the DC Universe streaming service.

According to the article, Green Lantern will "depict the adventures of a multitude of Lanterns, including Guy Gardner, Jessica Cruz, Simon Baz and Alan Scott — Earth’s first Green Lantern, who, true to the comics, is a gay man — and many more.  The series will also include fan favorites such as Sinestro and Kilowog, and will also introduce new heroes to the ranks of the Green Lantern Corps."

The series received a 10-episode order and will be co-written and executive produced by Seth Grahame-Smith and Marc Guggenheim, with Grahame-Smith serving as showrunner.  Berlanti Productions will produce in association with Warner Bros. Television.

Grahame-Smith, 44, is best known as the writer of the novels novels Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter, and co-wrote the 2012 film version of Dark Shadows.  He was also one of the screenwriters on The LEGO Batman Movie.

Guggenheim, 50, is the co-writer of the 2011 Green Lantern movie starring Ryan Reynolds, and the screenwriter for Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters.  He also served as showrunner on Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow, and was an executive producer and writer on Supergirl.

JUSTICE LEAGUE VS. THE FATAL FIVE Animated Cast Announced

Get ready to face the future.

The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that the upcoming animated DC Universe Original Movie Justice League vs. The Fatal Five has announced its voice cast, which features a mix of returning and new actors, along with the animated debut of Green Lantern Jessica Cruz.

According to the official synopsis for the movie, "Justice League vs. The Fatal Five finds the fate of the Earth hanging in the balance when the Justice League faces a powerful new threat — the Fatal Five!  Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman seek answers as the time-traveling trio of Mano, Persuader and Tharok terrorize Metropolis in search of budding Green Lantern, Jessica Cruz.  With her unwilling help, they aim to free remaining Fatal Five members Emerald Empress and Validus to carry out their sinister plan.  But the Justice League has also discovered an ally from another time in the peculiar Star Boy — brimming with volatile power, could he be the key to thwarting the Fatal Five?  An epic battle against ultimate evil awaits!"

The cast includes:

Elyes Gabel (Scorpion, Game of Thrones) as Thomas Kallor/Star Boy
Diane Guerrero (Doom Patrol) as Jessica Cruz/Green Lantern
George Newbern as Clark Kent/Superman
Kevin Conroy as Bruce Wayne/Batman
Susan Eisenberg as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman
Peter Jessop (Mass Effect) as Tharok
Matthew Yang King (Batman Ninja) as The Persuader
Sumalee Montano (This Is Us) as Emerald Empress
Philip Anthony Rodriguez (Grimm) as Mano
Tom Kenny (Spongebob Squarepants) as Bloodsport
Daniela Bobadilla as M'gann M'orrz/Miss Martian
Kevin Michael Richardson as Michael Holt/Mr. Terrific
Noel Fisher as Querl Dox/Brainiac 5
Tara Strong as Imra Ardeen/Saturn Girl

Created in 1967 by Jim Shooter and Curt Swan, the Fatal Five first appeared in Adventure Comics (vol.1) #352 as a gang of supervillains assembled by the Legion of Super-Heroes to help them destroy the Sun-Eater threatening Earth.  They battled the Legion numerous times, in various incarnations, with Validus killing Lyle Norg, the Legionnaire known as the first Invisible Kid.

The Fatal Five has appeared in other animated projects, including the Justice League Unlimited episode "Far from Home" and the Legion of Super Heroes animated series.  In addition, the Persuader appeared in the Smallville episode "Legion", the only member of the group to appear in live-action.

Justice League vs. The Fatal Five is expected to arrive on direct-to-video sometime in Spring 2019.