The DCU Lanterns series may be more than meets the eye as the Black Hand is now speculated along with the Guardians and more.
While the official description and info for Lanterns makes it seem as if the series is a grounded earth-based show, that might not be entirely the case.
The description offers that Lanterns Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) investigate a mysterious murder in the heartland of America. Well, what would make a pair of Green Lanterns investigate a murder? We may have answers.
Garret Dillahunt suit up
First up is something interesting from actor Garret Dillahunt who appears to be the villain of the series, William Macon, described as a “modern day cowboy.” Dillahunt revealed that he apparently gets some sort of suit:
“Good to see the kind and talented folks @fracturedfxinc again for my latest project. (They crafted the tiger-maul fx for me on #ArmyoftheDead, among other things). Real artists at work. You know I love a tight rubber suit every once in a while…this one’ll fit like a glove.”
Fans are speculating that Garret Dillahunt might actually be playing the Green Lantern villain, the Black Hand. It could very well lead into some sort of adaptation of Blackest Night.
Guardians may be involved
Next up is actress Poorna Jagannathan discussing Lanterns (translated via X) and name-dropping the Guardians and Sinestro:
“I couldn’t have loved the writing for Green Lantern more. (…) Like Deli Boys, the Green Lantern series is extraordinarily well written and my character is extraordinarily well built. (…) And also the way I can describe all the characters. We have all the characters we know and love… the Lanterns, the Guardians, Sinestros and that world is still intact and everyone is presented as heroes and villains at the same time. And that’s what makes the writing so complex, layered and so wonderful.”
We already know Ulrich Thomsen is playing Sinestro, but we didn’t know the Guardians are going to be involved. The Guardians and Sinestro possibly suggest more than an Earth setting.
Casting news
On a side note, new casting news for Lanterns includes Nicole Ari Parker as John Stewart’s mother Bernadette. So that at least says Hal Jordan and John Stewart simply aren’t going to show up in some mid-western city, but that at least for Stewart, there will be some sort of backstory. The official description for Bernadette reveals:
“Formidable and tenacious, Bernadette refuses to give up, no matter how insurmountable the odds. At her core, she’s a fiercely protective mother who has worked her entire life to ensure that she and her family will not be passed over.”
Release info
James Gunn has confirmed Lanterns will be released in early 2026. Kelly Macdonald is also playing Sheriff Kerry, said to be the love interest of Chandler’s Hal Jordan.
The series will consist of eight episodes. Chris Mundy is the showrunner, with Damon Lindelof and Tom King co-writing and executive producing. James Hawes is directing the first two episodes and is also an executive producer.
