Lanterns is coming soon to HBO and HBO Max, bringing James Gunn’s rebooted DC Universe to prestige television with a moody, earthbound spin on the Green Lantern mythos. Created by Chris Mundy (Ozark), Damon Lindelof (Watchmen) and comic book writer Tom King, the series pairs veteran intergalactic cop Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) with rookie recruit John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) as they investigate a grisly murder in small-town Nebraska.
Showrunner Mundy has described it as “as much of a buddy cop show as a superhero show”, and the supporting line-up reflects that True Detective-adjacent tone, with Kelly Macdonald as the local sheriff, Ulrich Thomsen as classic villain Sinestro and Nathan Fillion reprising his Superman role as Guy Gardner. Ozark star Laura Linney has also joined the cast, although her character is still being kept under wraps.
Check out our full guide to the actors and characters appearing in Lanterns, below.
Last updated: 1 June 2026
Lanterns season 1 cast list
- Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan
- Aaron Pierre as John Stewart
- Kelly Macdonald as Sheriff Kerry Kane
- Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner
- Garret Dillahunt as William Macon
- Jason Ritter as Billy Macon
- Poorna Jagannathan as Zoe
- Ulrich Thomsen as Sinestro
- Nicole Ari Parker as Bernadette Stewart
- Sherman Augustus as John Stewart Sr
- Jasmine Cephas Jones as a younger Bernadette
- J Alphonse Nicholson as a younger John Stewart Sr
- Paul Ben-Victor as Antaan
- Chris Coy as Waylon Sanders
- Laura Linney as TBC
Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan
About the character: Hal is a weathered Green Lantern Corps veteran eyeing retirement. But, after being called back into action to mentor a new recruit, a murder investigation in the American heartland threatens to spiral into something far bigger.
Where you’ve seen Kyle Chandler before: Chandler is the Emmy-winning star of Friday Night Lights, in which he played Coach Eric Taylor, and he later led Netflix’s Bloodline as John Rayburn. On the big screen, he played Dr Mark Russell in the Monsterverse films Godzilla: King of the Monsters and Godzilla vs Kong.
Aaron Pierre as John Stewart
About the character: A former Marine and the newest member of the Green Lantern Corps, paired with Jordan to take over his unruly sector. Disciplined and watchful, Stewart is quietly formidable.
Where you’ve seen Aaron Pierre before: Pierre had his breakout year in 2024 with the Netflix thriller Rebel Ridge, playing former Marine Terry Richmond opposite small-town police corruption. He also voiced young Mufasa in Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King and played Malcolm X in Genius: MLK/X. Earlier credits include Barry Jenkins’s acclaimed limited series The Underground Railroad and M Night Shyamalan’s Old. He’ll reprise John Stewart in James Gunn’s Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow.
Kelly Macdonald as Sheriff Kerry Kane
About the character: The sheriff of the small Nebraskan town at the heart of the murder investigation.
Where you’ve seen Kelly Macdonald before: Macdonald made her screen debut as Diane in Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting in 1996 and reprised the role two decades later in T2 Trainspotting. She earned an Emmy nomination and two SAG Awards for playing Margaret Thompson opposite Steve Buscemi in HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, and was the guest lead of Line of Duty season 6.
Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner
About the character: Gardner is a brash, hot-headed human Green Lantern introduced in 2025’s Superman.
Where you’ve seen Nathan Fillion before: Fillion is the lead of Joss Whedon’s Firefly and its film follow-up Serenity, and starred for eight seasons as mystery novelist Richard Castle on ABC’s Castle. He currently headlines The Rookie and has appeared throughout James Gunn’s filmography in Slither, The Suicide Squad, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 and Peacemaker season 2.
Garret Dillahunt as William Macon
About the character: A modern-day cowboy at the centre of the Nebraskan community drawn into Hal and John’s investigation.
Where you’ve seen Garret Dillahunt before: A prolific character actor, Dillahunt played fan favourite John Dorie across Fear the Walking Dead from 2018 to 2021. He also famously played two unrelated roles on HBO’s Deadwood, drifter Jack McCall and geologist Francis Wolcott, and starred as Burt Chance in the sitcom Raising Hope.
Jason Ritter as Billy Macon
About the character: The son of Dillahunt’s William Macon and Macdonald’s Sheriff Kerry, tying the show’s central family of suspects directly to the local law.
Where you’ve seen Jason Ritter before: Ritter is best known as Mark Cyr in NBC’s Parenthood, with further credits including voicing Dipper Pines in Gravity Falls and a role in Frozen II.
Poorna Jagannathan as Zoe
About the character: A new character pitched as composed and cunning.
Where you’ve seen Poorna Jagannathan before: Jagannathan is best recognised as Dr Nalini Vishwakumar in Mindy Kaling’s Netflix comedy Never Have I Ever.
Laura Linney as TBC
About the character: Linney’s role has not been officially announced. She features briefly in the show’s trailer telling the new Green Lantern recruit, “Then go and get it, John Stewart”, prompting widespread fan speculation about a high-ranking Corps connection, though nothing has been confirmed.
Where you’ve seen Laura Linney before: Linney is a three-time Oscar nominee and Emmy winner who starred as Wendy Byrde across four seasons of Netflix’s Ozark opposite Jason Bateman. She led Showtime’s The Big C as Cathy Jamison and also served as executive producer, and won an Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG Award for playing Abigail Adams in HBO’s John Adams.
Ulrich Thomsen as Sinestro
About the character: Hal Jordan’s former mentee turned arch-nemesis, described in casting materials as a despotic Green-turned-Yellow Lantern who is manipulative, ruthless and undeniably charming.
Where you’ve seen Ulrich Thomsen before: The Danish actor broke through in Thomas Vinterberg’s celebrated Palme d’Or nominee Festen before playing Bond henchman Sasha Davidov in The World Is Not Enough. He becomes the second live-action Sinestro after Mark Strong in the 2011 Green Lantern film.
Nicole Ari Parker as Bernadette Stewart
About the character: John Stewart’s mother.
Where you’ve seen Nicole Ari Parker before: Parker currently plays Lisa Todd Wexley in HBO Max’s Sex and the City sequel And Just Like That…. Her earlier credits include Boogie Nights, Remember the Titans, Brown Sugar and a long-running role as Giselle Barker on Empire.
Sherman Augustus as John Stewart Sr
About the character: The father of Aaron Pierre’s John Stewart, completing the new Lantern’s family unit alongside Parker’s Bernadette.
Where you’ve seen Sherman Augustus before: A former professional American footballer turned actor, Augustus is best known for his roles as Nathaniel Moon in the AMC series Into the Badlands and Lt. Colonel Jack Sullivan in seasons 4 and 5 of Stranger Things.
Supporting and guest Lanterns cast
Rounding out the ensemble, Paul Ben-Victor (The Wire, In Plain Sight) plays Antaan and Chris Coy (The Deuce) plays Waylon Sanders, both part of the wider mystery surrounding the Macon family and the Nebraskan town. Meanwhile, Jasmine Cephas Jones and J Alphonse Nicholson appear as younger versions of John Stewart’s parents, Bernadette and John Sr.
Mission: Impossible alum Paula Patton has also been cast, although, like Linney, her character is yet to be officially disclosed. Cary Christopher plays a child character named Noah.
Lanterns is on HBO Max from Monday 17 August 2026 in the UK.
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